THE LADDER

While in his prime
he began his career
as a worker
in a factory.
He had a number of
friends then all his
well-wishers and
each one a labourer
like him.
He was single then
and had no idea about
the girl who was
waiting in the wings
to be his life-partner
one day.
That was not his concern
then
his concern only his job
and his friends.
They were free-birds
not chained by a
married life and
that was a thrill
in those times.
A wide friend circle
erased the word tediousness
from the lexicon of each.
Life to enjoy, enjoy
to the brim like
popping up a bottle
of champagne.
His employers watched
his performance
put him always on the
wheels, prepared appraisal
reports, and got impressed
by his hardwork.
Employers’ pen-tip
decided his
climb up the ladder
step by step he climbed
up each rung
and with it his responsibilities
grew
wide, friend-circle narrowed
down.
Once a single, gradually
the she-bird waiting in
the wings flew to him
a family born
and two little guests entered
their life.
The rented room vacated and
purchased a flat in the city.
Bird of time flew.
Two-three rungs left
to climb up
the time for introspection
neared
on completion of most
of the ladders
he knew with a sense of shock
a climb down was inevitable.
The time to recall
the good old days
by that time arrived
his friends whom he
held close to his bossom
had disappeared somewhere…….