ESCAPE FROM THE PAST

 

ESCAPE FROM THE PAST

The heavy burden of family tension stays,
Many a time she searched for a way,
The monthly bill, groceries, and electricity,
House rent, water tax, life, no security, (1)

Meager is the income of the husband, plights
Workload to late-night absence fright,
Children on the school bus return to wait,
Her life, a housewife's complex trait, (2)

Narrow gullies crisscross drain stinks,
Dirty children's playful innocence links,
Shanty houses in rows, an urban picture,
Shiny malls, restaurants, and hotels allure (3)

What a contrast to the middle-class!!
The deprivation of street life, in mass,
A morsel of food, a pang of hunger, ill,
She saw everything when life was to heal? (4)

The noise, dust, smoke, traffic, rush,
Disgusting, she walks with her saree brush,
Suffocate the high-rise building light,
Pavement potholes, rain, flood sight, (5)

Dream of paradise and scenic places,
Look vacantly through the window,
She planned a trip, ticket was canceled.
Frustration, anguish, but hope surfaces (6)

She got her train reservation confirmed,
Packing her baggage, saving life planned,
Mesmerize the sea, beach, and golden sand,
A sunrise, fishermen, well understand, (7)

The sultry, moist wind waves advance,
Chirps seagull, a rare pleasure, enhances,
Escape from the past stood motionless,
Aural Divine glory she missed impress. (viii)

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra
Date: 30 June 2026
Themes: Contrast of city and serenity
@Copyright (India)