MELLOWED

 

MELLOWED

  

For you, the reality, dream for the rest,

Parents caring or Godly seen exceptions,

Hope to become rich someday,

Fulfills a child father's aspirations,

Fortunate, if mother sold her gold,

Provide funds for overseas study,

Rehabilitates parents at an old age,

How many stories circulate media,

A few parents help, obliging children,

Grew in rich family life was sweet,

Parents provided everything but wanted,

Good dress, college expenses cost,

Got a personal car when an adult,

A gift from my father surprised me,

I also saw such news in the media,

Felt my parents equally loving,

Fortunately, my father was wealthy,

What I have seen mother loved him,

Saw her busy serving dedicated,

His dress, lunch, dinner, medicines,

Very often on tour, prepare baggage,

Never questioned his income, bank,

Trusting her husband, I idolized,

My case matches exactly parents,

Fortunate, father rich supporting,

Never had seen he enquired me,

My study, results, hope future,

Socked one day confess to you,

Mother once was sobbing and sad,

Surprised with so many servants,

All her expenses are met by my dad,

Difficult to understand, her agonies,

Enquired many times but failed,

Kept secret her pathos in her heart,

Alerted their relations worsening,

One night witnessed a violent conflict,

Dad was rebuking her threatened too,

Warning her of separation quickly,

Mom was crying bitterly and angry,

Accused him looked scornfully,

What will your child learn?

That you did heinously, please stop,

Keep secret, for your son, I plead,

Your son respects you like God,

Dad slapped mother quit suddenly,

The sweet home changed then,

A ghost house silent, dark in the night,

Felt how unlucky as a son for dad,

Came to know later on his drinking,

His party life was eventful, shady,

Corruption crept into his vein,

Mom knew in detail was anxious,

Concerned about dad's health report,

A health problem rose unnoticed,

The doctor warned it may cripple him,

Dad was angry with mom slapped,

This was a story family shattered,

Shattered myself and mom together,

Discovered mom clearly mellowed,

Silent and simple, her life thoughtful,

No more crying looked at windows,

Perhaps hoped her husband return,

We found him in a hospital,

Mellowed was his face wrinkled,

Begged to be forgiven, breathed last,

Our life in color took mother home,

She caught my hand, left the hospital,

Mellowed a life-in-hues message for me.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

 

 

SECONDS

 

SECONDS

 

Write my emotions crushing,

Felt like missing these days a presence,

Parents no more lone soul,

Languishing in solitude in pain,

Incredible nature is attractive,

Inviting incessant my soul to merge,

Merge with wet winds morn moisture,

The aroma of rain-soaked fields,

Humming bees to amuse the mind,

Sleep on the ground, inhale freshness,

Never alone forget solitude,

Happy families, parents, children,

You passed high school with flying colors,

Everything was moving slowly,

My childhood and youth vividly,

Slow motion pictures floated pricked,

Dear girl, once we were friends,

How close our life schooldays,

You went to medical college far,

I struck with aged parents here,

 An only child for them life compelled,

Force conscience to serve parents,

Father expired a few years after,

Mother and son, our world is sweet,

Find the job of a school teacher,

Our small home is peaceful for both,

I rarely aspired for city life,

Loved village children, folks,

Getting respect means, to live working,

Fell ill, my mother, I took her to the city,

Seriously ill, got treated in hospital,

Hurting expenditure  on medicine costs,

She felt better the situation worsened,

How surprised Godsend, met you,

In doctor's apron, surmised quickly,

Kindly you stayed that night,

Treating my mother in delirium,

I looked at the screen graphs,

Dripping from the saline bottle by drop,

Each drop a second those seconds,

Apparent for me an age timeless,

I saw you are praying for her,

Unconscious, her limbs were inert,

You intimated to me her demise,

Hoarse whispering to my ear,

It was saturated with sadness,

I never cried during those moments,

Those seconds I felt empty, unreal,

Write this letter, my dear, to you,

Living alone in this world of wild grass,

Unwanted, only you came to me,

Hardly we can be united again,

This unlucky person posted a letter,

Sleeping in his beautiful home,

For days the door has not opened,

Perhaps he is sick, weak in heart,

Melancholy has been killing a lot,

The impetus to live be happy rootless,

Alarmed by a few knocks at the door,

A week since he posted his letter,

Opened the door and found her,

Accepted the proposal of marriage,

No more to perish life precious,

Kept in mind to marry someday,

She can't allow herself to lose him,

The school teacher listened to her,

Those seconds seemed motionless.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

 

 

SHATTERED

SHATTERED

 

Amazed at how tricked your mind,

Pleading earnestly not to desert,

It was already dawn to attend a job,

You didn't listen to their request,

Dawn broke for a bright future,

Meeting with suave businessmen,

you purely believed in mint gold,

A profession is a challenge to strike,

It was raw courage attack to grab,

Select businessmen are in guise,

Pick the right one still in the dark,

Established prospered a person,

A man of the village I objected to views,

Your mind illusive waylaid to trap,

Never thought of luxurious life,

Beautiful women, flattering shadows,

Line of costly car, life in hotels,

The evening was a smelling dream,

Scented with wine, gambling, trade,

From a remote village, I had warned,

Advised you to reject urban life,

Return to your native place soon,

The avalanche of fortune trap you,

Buried under the snow of lost property,

Knew intimately your life you reveal,

Never wanted you to proceed,

Felt for your wife and kids all the time,

Let them stay at the village home,

Equally addicted to urban life,

Your family was reluctant to return,

I inherited ten acres of land,

Purchased another ten acres later,

Maintain a breeding farm in profit,

Agricultural land convert fruit garden,

Inside my firm, a house is built,

My family prefers the village,

Children educated invested here,

Dairy products keep families happy,

Agreed, your life not to the extent,

Your lifestyle is impossible here,

Reading your letter heartbroken,

Face loss in business and property,

Family resenting, peace missing,

Home in shambles, children angry,

Sick is your wife, you are concerned,

Facing impending disaster, a storm,

Plead heart touchingly please come,

Come back, dear friend, remember,

We were school-mates the village waits,

Your parental property develop here,

Can find time engages, life earns,

The village in the lap of nature,

The everlasting greens, forest, river,

Enough treasure here you missed,

A cow herd, evening temple visits,

Wives pass the time in the temple,

Prayer with oil lamp lit, obligate,

Believe me, friend, she will recover,

Happiness will return joy usher,

Let the children get involved here,

Agriculture is a pretty business,

Today our correspondence helped,

He is returning to his village soon,

Sold his business property tattered,

Business associates learn shattered.

My friend realized life mattered.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

  

CRYPTIC

 

CRYPTIC

 

Escaped to nature, spring arrived,

Forgot for a while, gets older,

Refused my heart to obey quiet,

Impetus greenery instills abundantly,

Overwhelmed, my soul confined long,

Chained to bedroom corona specter,

Withdraws quickly, life unshackled,

Lifted quarantines open hill station,

Flocking busy humans for vacation,

Family excited, packing baggage,

Children anxiously wait for the thrill,

Mountain road, white clouds, wait,

Green hills kissing clouds failing,

Like white swan clusters are sailing,

Gentle, docile white clouds portray,

No more thunder-lightning attire,

Magical moments touch magic wand,

Sparkling flooding rivers, how docile,

Glistening sunlight in the morning,

Dazzles gurgling brooks refracted,

Spectral hues steal heart surreal,

Vanishing instantly as if a daydream,

Grazing cattle in grassy fields lazily,

Actors of sweet nature wear colors,

Children wordless at a floral canvas,

Turned nature bridal crimson look,

Silence, visible peace, prevails a lot,

Sooths Tension riddle life cine motion,

Happiness human heart tastes,

Lapped nature willingly invites more,

Come worried soul, let recluse totally,

Disconnect links of my nest high-rise,

Glass-metal walls, multistoried lighted,

Shining floors, mahogany furniture,

Modern living gadgets if dreamy real,

Drawing and bedroom dining place,

Kitchen, bathroom, television stand,

Mini library, desktop computer,

These realities have stolen dear life,

Forced to work, earn money plenty,

Scar of loan still on payments duly,

Opening new expenses for dress,

Purchased brand new car on loan,

Urban life expenses rise horribly,

I was sitting with my family at the hotel,

Evening time on a chair in the garden,

Lost in thought of my nest triggered,

Surprised to watch a bird's nest,

Visible on a tree top near the hotel,

Clearly saw the tiny bird in the nest,

Hanging the nest on a branch swing,

A hole at the bottom, the entrance,

Intricate weaving by dry straws picked,

The marvel was unfolded before me,

No brick, cement, or iron rod is needed,

It was a bird's home with dry sticks,

Well-balanced hanging safely in the rain,

Hangs well in the high wind, lasts long,

Chicks chirp incessant wait mother,

Life in a bird's nest is equal to my home,

Shyly felt my house, I purchased,

Cannot build by myself depends purely,

Simple bird has built a marvel,

Where it learned to weave intricate,

I find differences between human nests,

Greed vulgarly decorates my home,

Bird's nest nature friendly cryptic,

Memorable an evening, it messaged.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

 

RENEGADE

 

RENEGADE

 

 

Searching humans  who dedicate,

A lifetime for regenerating nature,

Less personal benefit fame sought,

Little self-interest milking reputation,

Deserted professional career higher,

Left luxury, comfort, compensate gold,

Student career bright awarded capped,

Skilled, professional experience gained,

Remunerative salary lucrative offered,

Such a person rejected the job in a million,

Understood truly,  education an insight,

He can guide people to preserve race,

Today stands, the biggest dam proudly,

A huge water reservoir artificial lake,

Tomorrow it will be a dry bed reality,

People can hardly believe it, to be soon,

Positively climate devastates rapidly,

Catchment-area of rivers are barren,

Depleted forest, green cover, mudslide,

Scrapped fertile soil, bare rocky bed,

Industries mining earth for decades,

Vanished tropical forest long ago,

Huge pits, inhospitable or lifeless,

Eroded pristine nature totally extinct,

Gone with forest animals birds sadly,

Huge lakes got dried up as a result,

To add salt to injury highways run,

Expanding metros hunt vacant space,

Building concrete jungles require,

Clay for bricks, sand, granite chips,

Humans need astronomical eating,

Eating river bed, fertile soil, hills,

Mile-long metal road, bridge, flyover,

Earth is blasted for rock and soil,

Granite marble rocks for flooring,

Dredging machines collect stones,

Crushers running continuously,

Halt this process of destruction,

Who would believe a pleading voice,

Mafia strong gun loving will target,

Eliminate this voice of a person quickly,

Educated this human challenged,

Begged for arms of the law fruitless,

Still, villagers cutting wood hunt,

Killing tiger elephants for profit,

Rare birds animals are stolen, sold,

The person failed to advise people,

Know village women walk a mile,

Bring polluted water from a river,

Famine will be a prophetic reality,

Errant climate change rain failing,

Parched grain fields are empty cracked,

Not a blade of grass is visible, arid,

Hungry, weak, even sick in a crowd,

Listening to this human attentively,

Dig earth, build embankments more,

Conservation of water during rain perfect,

Build ponds to preserve water more,

Plant trees in forest areas mass effort,

Planting trees on the hillside voluntarily,

Helped villagers breed cows, cattle,

Develop milk production ways taught,

Fish culture, creating hybrid plants,

Got cooperation villagers are busy,

Neighboring villages learn quickly,

Big water bodies plantation growing,

Quadrupled animal population,

The renegade becoming famous,

Far-flung villagers inviting him,

Rural life becomes a renegade.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

 

  

 

RENEGED

 

RENEGED

 

Immersive procession of Goddess,

Clay idol got life during worship,

The devotion, pleasant time unique,

Noisy drums rhythmic, people dance,

Oil lamps hundreds burned, prayed,

Scented sticks lit fumes fragrant,

Decorated stalls auspicious event,

Visitors showed obligation belief,

Mother assuages broken amity,

Graces people, health and prosperity,

Peace, happiness ushered, visible,

Communal harmony maintained,

Trust of people is enormous, evident,

Mass follows with a band party song,

Atmosphere sober for idol immersion,

Onlookers praying, a few tearful,

Silently wishing to wait patiently,

To celebrate next year wait arrival,

Her emblem matches to housewife,

Little confused, her dress, posture,

Hypothetical ten hands, three eyes,

Indian housewife performs likewise,

Her couple of hand cooks life long,

Feeds baby children family together,

Keep utensils, cleaned dresses too,

Cleans from dust furniture shining,

Pair of hands move in a shopping mall,

Groceries, vegetables,  consumer items,

Balances monthly budget thread walking,

Rising costs, electric bills, water scarcity,

Price rise of domestic need skyrocket,

Females still run their homes great,

Just two hands, I surmised disbelieve,

 In this era, notice a housewife employed,

Nine months leave for pregnancy given,

No leave for house works till delivery,

Office work, field job, teacher's life,

Housewife but laborer in the sun,

Carry bricks, sand, and cement,

Sleeping baby in the shed on a jute bag,

Socked for their stamina feeding baby,

Return home starts cooking for male,

She is the center of happiness pointed,

Compared to Goddess, she performs,

Homes plenty with Durga, Parvati,

A thousand names of Goddess carry girls,

Grew after marriage service tenfold,

Best her image school teacher,

I love my mother, treat her like Goddess,

Knew childhood events situation,

Remember clearly when sick, bedridden,

Vomit, she collects vomits unflinchingly,

For nights never slept watched me,

Alert, put wet clothes on the forehead,

Intermittently measured temperature,

Medicines timely unfailingly deed,

Attended the office, cooked at home,

Consulted a doctor for my fever,

Keep medicines, herself on time,

Seen her pair of five hands serving,

Dealt sick periods, difficult times,

Satisfied husband, in-law parents,

Check children, school bags arranged,

Dress washed, ironed, boot polished,

Waits at door arrival time every day,

Feeds hungry children in the evening,

Cooks for dinner helps in studying,

Goddess's immersion triggered me,

Line of thoughts about a housewife,

Streams ended my mother so similar,

If we reneged on our duty, honestly,

Housewife embodied Goddess Durga.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra