ON TRIAL
Life itself, a big question, I
admire,
Every breath a second finds
changing,
Changing views in front, my
thought,
Changes belief, habit, and
faith altogether,
Limits knowledge, wisdom, if
wise human,
Simple, rustic, matriculate,
knew driving,
Chosen my life, driving bus
far-flung,
Years are rolling like wheels
in speed,
Surprised by how time passing
life is busy,
The bus became my home, drive,
then rest,
Sleep, the bed is bus sheet,
dress in a cupboard,
Baths at the stand, food during
travel,
Lunch, dinner, snacks,
breakfast, call,
Roadside footstalls know
recognize me,
Food is free, providing
customers plenty,
Friend, brother is helper and
conductor,
Reaching destinations keeps the
bus at the stand,
Play, we three closest in life
with cards,
Dress brown shirt, pants, asset
a comb,
Sleep in the day time drive
during the night,
Lonely roads in city, villages,
jungles,
The bus runs with alacrity
watching cows,
Street dogs, beggars sleeping
on the roadside,
Children running to the middle
of roads,
Speeding overloaded trucks, car
overtaking,
Bicycles and motorcycles, the
worst offenders,
Accident, never happened life,
has seen,
A life cut short by accident, a
few dying,
Wounded passengers,
heart-rending cries,
Silent onlookers gather,
helpless, trying,
Trying to inform police,
authority,
Roads with blood heart touching,
Who dies today, watches
motorcycles,
Play with truck, car racing
fast,
Mobile in hand driving car a
fashion,
Untimely death happens, truck
behind,
Witness sick people in the bus,
aged,
Vomiting at places need care n
rest,
Children glue to window glass
curious,
Moving past sceneries, rivers,
forests,
Unknown bazaar, village Hat,
fun,
Students going to colleges or
home,
Singing dancing shout co-passenger
angry,
Complains, conductor warns
often,
Ticket, ticket, sound whistles,
I hear,
Night bus, passengers sleeping,
silent,
Alert alone awake helper dosing,
Maneuvered steep slopes,
hairpin bends,
Prayed idols in the ghat road
vermilion red,
Believes Goddess will help
driving safely,
Believes bus living-part of my
life,
Checking parts cleaning the
bus, sharing love,
Move to home in shift, few days
left,
Enjoys homely food, watches
child study,
Washes brown khaki dresses,
market,
Find wife’s requirements pay
house rent,
Talking to son reading in high
school,
Lovingly play with my baby
daughter,
Sighs, save money for daughter
her marriage,
Conflicts mind, daughter to get
educated,
Advises my son to study well to
become an officer,
A bus driver’s life on trial,
my child, gets never.
@ Bijayananda Mishra
