ON TRIAL

 

ON TRIAL

 

Life itself, a big question, I admire,

Every breath a second finds changing,

Changing views in front, my thought,

Changes belief, habit, and faith altogether,

Limits knowledge, wisdom, if wise human,

Simple, rustic, matriculate, knew driving,

Chosen my life, driving bus far-flung,

Years are rolling like wheels in speed,

Surprised by how time passing life is busy,

The bus became my home, drive, then rest,

Sleep, the bed is bus sheet, dress in a cupboard,

Baths at the stand, food during travel,

Lunch, dinner, snacks, breakfast, call,

Roadside footstalls know recognize me, 

Food is free, providing customers plenty,

Friend, brother is helper and conductor,

Reaching destinations keeps the bus at the stand,

Play, we three closest in life with cards,

Dress brown shirt, pants, asset a comb,

Sleep in the day time drive during the night,

Lonely roads in city, villages, jungles,

The bus runs with alacrity watching cows,

Street dogs, beggars sleeping on the roadside,

Children running to the middle of roads,

Speeding overloaded trucks, car overtaking,

Bicycles and motorcycles, the worst offenders,

Accident, never happened life, has seen,

A life cut short by accident, a few dying,

Wounded passengers, heart-rending cries,

Silent onlookers gather, helpless, trying,

Trying to inform police, authority,

Roads with blood heart touching,

Who dies today, watches motorcycles,

Play with truck, car racing fast,

Mobile in hand driving car a fashion,

Untimely death happens, truck behind,

Witness sick people in the bus, aged,

Vomiting at places need care n rest,

Children glue to window glass curious,

Moving past sceneries, rivers, forests,

Unknown bazaar, village Hat, fun,

Students going to colleges or home,

Singing dancing shout co-passenger angry,

Complains, conductor warns often,

Ticket, ticket, sound whistles, I hear,

Night bus, passengers sleeping, silent,

Alert alone awake helper dosing,

Maneuvered steep slopes, hairpin bends,

Prayed idols in the ghat road vermilion red,

Believes Goddess will help driving safely,

Believes bus living-part of my life,

Checking parts cleaning the bus, sharing love,

Move to home in shift, few days left,

Enjoys homely food, watches child study,

Washes brown khaki dresses, market,

Find wife’s requirements pay house rent,

Talking to son reading in high school,

Lovingly play with my baby daughter,

Sighs, save money for daughter her marriage,

Conflicts mind, daughter to get educated,

Advises my son to study well to become an officer,

A bus driver’s life on trial, my child, gets never.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra