LENIENCY

 

LENIENCY

 

Dark is the room sits quietly alone,

Contemplate immersive my plight,

Offer my hands to help but refuse,

Rudely conveyed to me, keep aloof,

 

Notices folk dance from a distance,

Overwhelms my heart swayed now,

Rhythmic dancing, my limbs sing,

Mix with people, joyous automatic,

 

Mingles my  smiles festive ecstatic,

Pulling someone with alacrity out,

Shout disgustedly and warn me,

Not invited to our community bet,

 

Join let again threat consequence,

Dismayed at the look scorn reason,

Served people from birth sweeps,

Cleans street of city dirt in heaps,

 

Chest deep in sewerage lifts filth,

Lovingly smile at life underneath,

Duty least discriminate accepted,

Earn peanut for work, not wicked,

 

Gentle, polite to people, respect all,

Feast or ceremony time get a recall,

Lifts garbage of foods, paper dishes,

Fight with beggars, dog's life wishes,

 

Morsels of food hungry lives want,

Fails to notice leftover looked scant,

Humans, if equated with a dog a bit,

Sad then watching the sight, I quit,

 

Felt occasionally pray at the temple,

May god grace destitute life simple,

Get food, cloth, a roof needs shelter,

So mercy to the ill recovery matter,

 

Life is precious fate causes disaster,

Untouchable is the tag life inferior,

Less than a beggar surprised soon,

People offer food or cloth to them,

Sit among them for food overwhelm,

 

Thrown out of the line, scolded a lot,

Happen in front of temple lies but,

Not allowed to the community wall,

Clean our door front sewerage mall,

 

Born with the caste to die someday,

Not allowed to lift departed dismay,

Life dead dogs sick die on the road,

Stinking smell dispelled crowds trod,

 

Angry eyes pointed fingers at me now,

Clear devil from here get lost to bow,

Illiterate child labor father died early,

Illicit wine poisoned, killed him nearly,

 

Work mother in brick-kiln grew there,

Play on the muddy road timeshare,

Slum with tin roofs,  a bed, and an oven,

Once a meal rice salt onion is chicken,

 

Lunch-diner breakfast combine into one,

Fortunate today get my meal, a man,

Seldom complains for life, dear friend,

Grudge against humanity, to befriend,

 

Told me, men, at pyres, move to heaven,

Ask you intelligent wise for me shaken,

Mixes the ass, graves side by side well,

Grows the tree luxuriant, spirits dwell,

 

Our spirits live together leniency if, exist,

Mingles with mirth lives why me, resist?

 

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Title of Poem: Leniency

Theme: The untouchability

Date: 15th December 2022, Cuttack

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