THE SIEGE

PART 1

They arrived from faraway places

by trains, by buses and on foot.

Blockades, of course were there

all hurdles they jumped

reached the city one day before

with enthusiasm and vigour to the brim.

They came listening to

the exhortations of their leaders

with enthusiasm and vigour to the brim.

Their only mission:   Lay siege to the citadel of power

the nerve-centre of the law-making body

where ruling mandarins and

their cohorts lock horns with the opposition.

PART 2

To stem the rot of corruption at

higher echelons they came

to fight against the

evil deeds of the ones

in saddle they came

all at the instance of

their leaders who promised

to bring heaven on earth

to herald a new dawn.

PART 3

Compound wall is circular

compound wall with four gates

North, South, West and East.

The nerve centre, the law making body

too circular

where Ministers and staff are safely enconsced.

PART 4

In thousands they came to lay siege to

the ruling citadel

to block the four gates

to halt the entry of

ministers and employees they came.

In anticipation of riots

police and paramilitary staff kept on vigil

eternal vigil

with lathies, tear-gas shells,grenades and guns

their mission - intimidation of the milling

crowds, unarmed crowds

ready to brave even the bullets.

PART 5

All said and done

it was business as usual

for the ruling mandarins and their cohorts

with the leaders of the opposition themselves

preventing their followers

from laying siege to the

gate,  the main gate through which

the responsible mandarins were allowed to enter

Again, all said and done

to the cheer of the flocking crowds

who shouted slogans and zindabads  

that the siege had ended…

they could return from where they came from.

The flame of siege died without even a whimper at the

end of the day…

pity those milling crowds…  

thus came to an end ‘indefinite’ siege in one day…………