BELIEVED
In front, across the street, a
house,
Double-storied but empty,
totally,
Lives the lady decent and
mannered,
Advanced in age but alone
living,
Her husband expired a few years
ago,
In front of our bedroom window,
On the balcony, Madam used to
sit,
Morning rays fall on the
verandah,
She used to read a newspaper on
a chair,
A lady servant, a driver
maintains,
Rarely goes out to work in the
city,
Cordial relationship Knew her
well,
Her only child is at a foreign
shore,
Completed study, married and
works,
Settled happily corresponds
often,
Feeling sad and concerned for
her,
She is not pulling well and
feels helpless,
Intermittently I enquired about
her health,
She was bedridden for the last
few days,
Attending her with medicines,
food,
She told intimated her son to
come,
Intimated her son on his
arrival,
In the morning, she is on her
balcony,
Watching desperately, son's
arrival,
Knew she was sick and
concerned,
Her white saree was cleanly
covered,
Sitting on a chair on the edge,
attentive,
The clock rolled quickly to
afternoon,
She was sitting there, quietly
calm,
Looking at every bus, car,
pedestrian,
Her gaze was telling a million
words,
The evening is only past,
feared and looked at,
She was still sitting there
composed,
Disturbed, she was sick open
air facing,
I realized she was serious, if
not rested,
Went to her home and goaded her
a lot,
To take rest and sleep her body
needs,
Socked by her reply, she told
me,
She used to wait for him for
hours,
Her child used to visit college
return,
Quite late, he arrives home to
meet her,
Never could her child know a
fact,
For hours used to stand near
the door,
Wait till her child returns
back,
Remain alert till he goes to
his bed,
Morning bus her son picks up,
She used to stand at the door,
Till the bus vanished from
view,
She never fails to get aware of
his time,
Leaves automatic, everything to
stand,
Till he is in sight, takes a
long breath,
Eager for his arrival, she
wanted,
His first sight of coming home
today,
Surprised by now, she silenced
me,
Continue to sit on the balcony
too late,
She slept on her chair, felt
tears,
Went back to my house, greatly
worried,
Her son arrived in the morning
and saw,
Dashed to her home and found
her unconscious,
We admitted her to a hospital
quickly,
I told her son everything in
detail,
He was shocked, speechless,
then crying,
Believed her mother, never lose
her,
A few days after Madam returned
home,
Packing her baggage with her
son to travel,
I congratulated her travel with
her son,
She replied she believed he would
return.
Pen: Bijayananda Mishra
Title of Poem: Believed
Themes: A mother waits, tests
patience
Written: 29th June 2023,
Cuttack
@ Copywrite
