INSURMOUNTABLE TASK?

POEM

Throw out the

garbage of evil thoughts 

piled up in the corner of your mind.

Scrub the floor, corners and walls

and turn it bright like sunshine.

Let the winds of fresh thoughts blow in

and fill your mind with them.

Though it is a tedious task

in this age and times

when evils are on the prowl

try, try and try to ward off them

and create wonders

thus exhort the great souls…..

SUM TOTAL OF ONE’S EXISTENCE

POEM

Sitting by the side

of a calm and quiet pond

the transparency of

which could reflect

the blue sky up above

with no ripples whatsoever

to upset the calm and silent waters.  

I was enquiring myself

the sum total of my existence

on the face of the earth.

With no answer forthcoming

with despair and gloom in my eyes and face

I left the spot.

Wish I possessed

a device to measure the sum total of

my existence.

I am seated at a secluded place

where peace and tranquility reign  supreme.

But no my  inner self intervened

and whispered in my ears :

It is too early to

calculate the sum total of my existence

since it is not in my  domain

but in the hands of posterity

and that I should have

to traverse a long path

so as to enable the coming generation

to measure the sum total of my existence………

THE DOOR OF FREEDOM

POEM

Despised and hated by majority

loved, feared and respected by minority

the malevolent dictator is always at the

mercy of a silent majority

which ‘he is unwilling to acknowledge

simply because of his loyal forces

and the so-called minority

who are the obedient dogs

always wagging their

tails before their master.

But when the silent majority

reach the bottom line of their patience

they turn eloquent

gather under one umbrella

and fight against the loyal militia

until the eloquent majority

arrive at the door of victory

and dethrone the dictator.

The boot-lickers of the ruthless rascal

flee for their life leaving their master in the lurch

who by that time will be chained

and imprisoned and brought before justice.

At last freedom knocks on the door of the nation

which was under the iron grip of

a merciless ruler

 and a new era is born.

DESERT LIFE

POEM

Bereft of ideas

he wandered around 

sometimes hitting his head

sometimes hitting the wind

or gritting teeth.

Despite all his attempts

thinking even from different angles

though aware of the subject

ideas blessed him not.

Someone in him whispered in his ears

thus he felt

to pen a beautiful poem.

First came to his mind

a sprawling beautiful garden

full of a variety of pretty flowers

and their fragrance

spreading all around in the cool breeze

of the morning with dew drops

dripping from the petals of flowers

and the beetles kissing

and sucking the honey from their lips.

The next moment

someone in him reminded

of several poems he had penned

touching the garden,

beautiful flowers,

and fragrance.

He dropped the thought 

of garden,

flowers and the fragrance

blowing all around in the cool breeze

of the misty morning.

Then his imagination took wings

and the picture of two

lovers came to his mind,

their exchange of glances,

smiles, each of them planting kisses

with their passions rising high

and the first love-making

which lifted them to heaven.

But the next moment

someone in him reminded

‘you have already

penned the stories of

lovers and love-birds’.

Pondering over a new theme

he roamed around

and the picture of a vast desert

under fire-spitting sun entered his mind 

with only  one person

walking aimlessly

and with thirst, tired and

exhausted he was

for want of a water-spring.

With no one around

to plead for at least 

mouthful of water

to wet his dry lips and dry mouth

and empty stomach to regain

the vigour and strength.

No god blessed him

and he felt unconscious

in the  searing heat.

On thinking of the new theme

he said to himself :

‘in these times

mankind’s life on

the earth as a whole

is somewhat like

living in a desert

with love, peace, harmony

and all virtues

disappearing somewhere.’  

The someone in him

went silent………

A sign of approval…?   

DOCTOR AND PATIENTS

POEM

I awaited the doctor

seated in a chair

in the portico of his house.

I was the first to come

and my token No.1 

and I was here since an hour.

Unfortunately the doctor was not ‘IN’

when would he turn up, no idea.

Whether he along with

his family had gone

our for shopping

or on a long distance journey, no idea.

I pressed the calling

but no answer was forthcoming.

I started from home early

to meet and consult him at the earliest.

Seconds and minutes ticked by

patients one after another began to arrive

and each took up a token thrust  on the spike

in numerical order.

Evening Sun appeared in the

Western horizon

intensity of his anger slowly mellowed

and he covered the earth with his golden silk.

Those who came first got seats

remaining ones stood like statues

some others walked to and fro along the

courtyard of his house.

Impatience was writ large

on everyone’s face.

None knew the doctor’s contact number

and all were helpless.

Darkness descended on the earth

street lights opened their eyes

patients one by one

began returning to their residence.

Me too emptied the chair

and walked out in despair.

By the time

the doctor reached

home it was late

and after changing dress

the doctor began awaiting the patients….

RIVER OF FREEDOM

POEM

A beautifully woven fabric

shining since decades

is being gradually torn asunder.

Brave and independent

voices being stifled and silenced.

Fear psychosis across the nation

like an epidemic is being affecting

countless of citizens

irrespective of writers,

artists, intellectuals

and common citizens.

Tolerance, patience

unity and serenity are being

driven to the brink of the abyss.

Elimination of poverty

of millions being spoken aloud in words

but not in deeds both here and abroad.

And the world is watching

and is gradually coming to grip with

story of the river of freedom

being  getting dried…..

OLIVE BRANCHES

POEM

A dove with olive-branches 

between its beaks

was flying from afar.

A hawk perching on

the branch of a tree

was watching the dove stealthily.

It was an accidental coincidence that

the dove espied the hawk

while flying nearer and nearer.

He with olive branches

between his beaks

was calm, quiet and fearless

flew closer and closer to the hawk

and perched beside him.

He looked askance at the hawk

meaning ‘why are you

sitting here’?

‘That is none of your

business’ was the angry

and curt response of the hawk.

The dove returned him a beaming smile.

The hawk was wondering

how come the dove

dares to sit near him 

and look askance at him.

He forcefully snatched

an olive branch from the dove

and took it between his beaks.

Within a split-second 

the hawk, like in a magic

metamorphosed into a dove

turned  peaceful, calm and quiet.

Both of them became friends

and both ‘messengers of peace’ flew away

to spread the message of

peace and harmony…across the world…..   

This is my wishful thinking

THE ELOPEMENT

POEM

It was a low-key marriage

----a story of elopement.

It was a love-affair between both,

but,

 she hailing  from a rich family

and he a lower middle-class youth,

her parents, siblings  

and close relatives

opposed tooth and nail to the relationship.

Albeit their opposition

she stuck to her decision like a rock

and ran away with him

in the thick of one night.

They fled to a faraway place

and got married in front of a temple

exchanging garlands.

She was empty-handed

he had some money with  him

and took a house for rent.

‘Scaling heights is

everyone’s dream 

but remember my dear

life has its highs and lows

like mountains and valleys.

Hence while aiming high

bow down

and see the plight of poor ones

at the lower strata of society

dreaming for at least two

square meals a day’ – he

was telling her choking with emotion

on their first night  

at their rented home

at a strange village.

She planted kisses

dime a dozen on

his forehead and her cheeks

eyes gone teary…… 

OVERLAPPING SHADOWS

POEM

We are overlapping shadows

then, now and in future.

From childhood to teenage

from teenage to youth,

and now  adulthood. 

While we were children,

while we were teenagers,

while we were youth,

we intermingled, continue to intermingle

and will certainly intermingle irrespective of genders.

Now we have got separated

and are in different cities across our nation

and abroad

working in different institutions.

Still,

at least once, twice, thrice a year

majority of us meet and intermingle

share our pains, sorrow and joy

like chemical solutions interacting in a lab.

Once countless of us had love affairs,

in the college campuses and outside.

A few materialized and borne fruits

unfortunately several of them couldn’t blossom

and had to part ways.

Lovers among us,

however experienced that sublime feeling of ecstasy.

Even while eking out a living afar

we are overlapping shadows.

Human beings as a whole

are overlapping shadows

in this ever changing

world, to be precise……..