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
