BENUMBED

 

BENUMBED

 

There was a knock opened the door,

A postman in front money order,

She signed yes and received the cash,

Only a thousand notes she counted,

Closed the door and sat on the bed,

Tearful lost in thought for an hour,

She was without food for a few days,

Got respite to pay for groceries,

For weeks she bought couldn't pay,

The shop owner was kind enough,

But that was the end of goods on loan,

There is not a morsel of food, rice,

Paid back the money to buy a few,

Essential items, ration for weeks,

Small house, two rooms her home,

End of a street blind alley narrow,

She lives alone with her son abroad

Her husband met an accident,

Couldn't survive shattered her,

Only earning member wife and son,

Left suddenly mourned family,

She worked as a domestic servant,

Stitching lady's garments at home,

Her son studied at school passed,

Scholarship and study loans helped,

Completed higher education degree,

Overseas career invited him and job,

He stays abroad for years,

Left his mother alone no contact,

The lady is sick no more can work,

Meager money from stitching managed,

Medicine costs bending her back,

Failed to contact her son no reply,

Settled to her plight, clueless lonely,

Poverty disconnected her from rest,

She had in-laws, her brothers wealthy,

But life checkmated her links, sadly,

Her life is a forgotten world separated,

The dark lane neighbors feel pity,

Provide compassionate help limit,

Surprisingly brittle fate lo fractured,

Her son she lost contact with presumed,

That he is lost to her too, fate plays,

The white patches on black hair,

Eyes moist, heavy eyebrows, face pale,

Tender frame weak and sick often,

Knew her life at fag end of the story,

Knew the end feared to arrive abruptly,

She may collapse on the ground,

Reluctant to pray Lord smiles a bit,

Press her lips with your teeth, hold her,

Rejected crying shedding tears,

She has done her duty for the child,

The remnant of her beloved living,

Secured, she served her husband,

May his soul be happy, his son stable,

Wait to quit the Blind Alley unable,

Socked to get a money order surprised,

Confused puzzling his son remembers,

Remember his mother in the world,

Living still hand to mouth lost hope,

Can no way contact him, she thought,

Felt tears allowed to flow, cried a little,

It happened, and she knew it would happen,

Discovered in a hospital bed critical,

She fell, got a head injury, fortunate,

Neighbors helped to hospital kindly,

Her son is back home with family,

Returned and accepted a job here,

He took his mother home, relieved,

Benumbed his mother looking,

Her hopes were lost, but she wanted to live... 

 

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Title of Poem: Benumbed 

Themes: Hops lost a blind alley fades

Written: 17th August 2023, Cuttack

@ Copywrite