One day while returning home I saw dark brown clotted red spots on the street. Someone shouted, “Hey be careful, its blood”. I asked, “From whom?” Someone replied, “Don’t know but he was with a cow”.
The cow was ok, they said but the old man passed away.
“Oh!”, I said and I also tiptoed away.
After a while, I reached home and read on my 8-inch screen that someone cracked opened the 16-inch skulls of two young kids , and killed them on the spot. Because they had nowhere to answer nature’s call.
But I felt nothing.
I was not sad, nor happy,
nor I felt disgusted.
I said to myself, “Let it be.”
The next day, while brushing my teeth
I looked in my old dusty mirror,
And asked myself,
Am I dead?
Why is my heart is cold?
Why are my thoughts grubby?
And why is my soul as hard as a rock?
“Nah! How can that be true, I am happy”, I said.
Let me get ready for my day,
Let me live my life, why unnecessary worry?
On my way to work, I realised,
My body is full of pain,
And my face is dark and gloomy.
I asked myself,
“Is it the poison from my food?”
I keep ordering it to grub every day,
Killing me inside.
Is the poison only killing me or is it killing everyone around me?
I have heard a lot of them who grow this food which gives me life,
Are taking away their own life? Is it really true?
“Nah! How can that be true, I am healthy”, I said.
Let’s go to the office,
Let me live my life, why unnecessarily worry?
As I lifted the mug to sip,
The fresh brew beans of passion, I saw,
My arm has become fragile and my chest sunk inside,
And my feet uprooted from the ground.
I stood up with that mug in my hand,
I looked at myself to realise. Shit! Who I am?
I can’t pull a rope or chop a block of wood,
Neither I can hunt nor can I run.
I forgot how to walk in the woods,
I forgot how to pluck the fruits,
I forgot how to jump into a stream,
I forgot how to eat and sleep.
I forgot those stories my grandfather told me.
Why? Who took away the I from me and when?
“Nah! How can that be true, I am a manager of my team”, I said.
Let me sip my coffee,
Let me live and lead, why unnecessary worry?
But no!
This time I failed to park my thoughts anywhere,
and the coffee tasted bitter than ever.
I looked through the window
And I saw the sky,
Could not hold me, I wailed.
I shouted, Why is the sky dry?
I want some dark clouds,
To pour some heavy rain.
I promise I will go to the terrace,
and dance and get drenched,
to wash away all my pain.
Come rain, come.
Make me wet, make me wet.
Make me soggy and make me a little soft.
Make me feel, make me feel,
Make me feel alive, once more.
I want to cry and I want to laugh,
I want to live and love,
I want to hug and I want to fight,
I want to stand with the right.
Come rain, come.
Make me wet, make me wet.
Make me soggy and make me a little soft.
Make me feel, make me feel,
Make me feel alive, once more.
This poem was first published here.