BENEFIT
Have ever a spirit faced
hunger,
Begged for a morsel of food,
staring,
The pain, severe than death
etched,
Remind the time scar of the
past,
Tears dried long ago, lips
parched,
Unruffled matted hair little
oily,
The dirty cloth torn at places
sadly,
Shame for a life left brutally
ago,
Neither faced humiliation nor
insult,
His shrunken eyes look at the
bystander,
Unmindful of the reaction,
extended hand,
Empty palms a few coins he
received,
Little reacted, aimlessly
focused,
Whom he is calling talking
interrupted,
Scolding someone nowhere seen,
Sleeping on the road divider
cemented,
Merciless sun blistered his
skin,
Failed to recognize the heat
seats,
Knew well that people can
provide some,
Maybe bread, leftover plates of
food,
Some money, mercifully some
water,
Rain has arrived pouring rain,
Does not know he may catch a
cold,
Soaked to the bone, begging for
a sight,
The traffic was thick, passing
fast,
Nobody looked at him, squatted,
In the middle of the road,
vehicles too,
Speeding past him blaring horn,
Crossing near him less
bothered,
Civilization knows the value of
time,
Opportunity is missed and never
seen in life,
That moment fetched huge
benefits,
Mountain of cash gold lot of
assets,
Secured life wealth guarantees
well,
Magnetic prosperity status face
crowd,
They plead for help, beg mercy,
obey,
Surrender to whims least bother
to act,
Can loot, cheat, make blunders
happily,
Wanted favor from the powerful,
kneeled,
Give him the order to perform
but help,
His son for a job, his wife
treated, continues,
He wants a house, acres of
land, a shop,
Endless requests touching feet
quickly,
Get a bundle of cash promises,
of course,
Vanish like thin air all of
sudden,
Lock stock and barrel plundered
socked,
Touch the feet acquired
instantly,
None can challenge men shadowy,
Vanish from visibility
mysteriously,
Fear grips lost everything
outright,
The law of the land out of
reach mockery,
A family of decent having home
children,
He once objected to grabbing,
Knocked the door of the court
bitterly,
Protested against unseen forces
angrily,
He survived lost his family
sadly,
The public reacted, consoled
him, forgot,
He is changed to an unknown
face in the street,
A beggar in the street walking
madly,
He knew, lost his home, and
family instantly,
Never harmed anyone in life
innocent,
Scolding someone looking up
angrily,
Passerby ridicule interpret
gimmickries,
Everything I know about his
neighbor,
Hardly can dare to touch him to
help,
Found him senseless on the
road,
Called a shelter home, paid
dues,
The story didn't end recovered,
Got benefits for those below
the poverty line.
Pen: Bijayananda Mishra
Title of Poem: Benefit
Themes: Benefit is a
misnomer
Written: 18th July 2023,
Cuttack
@ Copywrite
