CRUCIBLE

 

CRUCIBLE

 

Express abysmal working life,

Transfers are obvious to leave home,

Love you better half missed the most,

Service took my life span entirely,

Home, my children, and wife at far,

Elude meeting them leave canceled,

Rented a house, cooked my meals,

Faced if sickness alone felt helpless,

How much wanted your presence,

Remember wakeful nights at my side,

Intermittently check my temperature,

Keep medicines consult the doctor,

At a distant place of job pass night,

A night of fever alone kept it secret,

Never wanted to make your life hell,

On duty left home, the burden sharing,

You managed our house, the kids grew,

Wait desperately for my salary a fact,

You moved within the city to pay bills,

Electricity, telephone dues, or expenses,

Monthly grocery could manage the best,

I got surprised you were saving,

Forgot your pleasure companionship,

I know how desperately seeking me,

Children's examination durations,

Children's course notebook in hand,

Collect how memorizing children,

Helped them through exercises,

Corrected all answers explained to kids,

Through pages of files, lose track,

Visualize your face wrinkled in pressure,

Understanding my service is essential,

You little purchased for your clothes,

Less thought to buy ornament, jewelry,

Monthly groceries price rise a hazard,

A miracle you balanced our home budget,

 Kids tuition fee, coaching class attend,

I know you wait patiently at the door,

Look consistently through the window,

The pressure on your heart is enormous,

Only you wait for me on leave eagerly,

When arriving home, watch your check,

Your scrutiny, dear, I understand too,

My health, dress, and everything,

Under a lens, examine in detail,

I had to answer a hundred questions,

My sickness, daily medicines,

Check-up reports, consolations,

The menu of home cooking, on rest,

I attentively listen to advice earnestly,

The plead in your voice hooks me,

Cannot bypass instructions I obeyed,

Ever weekly a letter to send I promised,

Tearful, hid well, your care touching,

So much alert for my comfort, health,

Never missed the truth you sacrificed,

Sacrificed your dreams, comfort, joy,

Neglected pleasure gave time  and life,

Like molten metal poured into a crucible,

The tension, worries, and fear net poured,

Resemble the crucible your heart  churned,

It holds our family cemented strong,

The crucible provides love and cares we know,

Unique your heart crucible shield.

 

Title of Poem: Crucible

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Theme: Heart of housewife

Date: 1st November 2022, Cuttack

@ Copywrite reserved

 

EXPANSIVE

 

EXPANSIVE

 

 

Sings country leader hilarious,

Amazes landscape panoramic,

Stupendous success, hard labor,

Laborers Indians bewilder, bemused,

Metropolises outlandish sprouting,

Boasting development elaborates,

Highways, airports, skyscrapers,

Glassy towers dazzle in sunlight,

Evening advances cities glowing,

Life in hues neon coloring skyline,

Works people day and night long,

Run the mills round the clock,

The traffic, smog, frothing rivers,

Symbolizes development prosperity,

Dense forests, green cover is vanishing,

Dredgers in coastal sea digging ports,

The land is flourishing with export-import,

Skies are crowded with air traffic,

Million hopes aspiration taking shape,

The laborer in the field looks up,

Elite flourished are traveling,

Made their life minted gold plenty,

The shining glory of the nation, rich,

Tumbling records of assets honored,

Sweating below the turban shies,

Bare chest, a loin cloth, and muscular,

Brutalized at brick kilns for his wage,

The young woman was brought,

As a child from the village to the city,

Working in polished houses, sahibs,

A fleet of cars drivers at bay owned,

Children attend school dressed up,

Anglicized attire voice fails to decipher,

Looked the maid, a girl child curious,

Fail to understand accent or order,

She only can watch the laughter,

A joke is actually the wall, wide, separate,

A newborn baby sleeps in a cement bag,

Crying loudly in the shade alone,

Mother carrying bricks on the head,

Look, a wage can keep them alive,

Tomorrow is a holiday, no food,

The big city shanties in the suburban,

Life is distinct in a huge office building,

Round-the-clock work continues,

Money that matters delivers a result,

Overnight business crumbles news,

Laughs paid drivers, attendants,

An industry magnet is  road life drinking,

Desperate to live, a vain attempt,

Trying to betray reality, a beggar,

Aristocratic society in a barricade,

Fails to recognize this person block,

The migrant laborer find as jobless,

Could not get another job starving,

Returns to the village to survive,

Surprised fails to recognize villages,

No more thatched roofs, muddy roads,

Brick houses pitch roads appear,

Electricity mobile towers attract.

Schools with a big compound, crowded,

Health clinics are serving patients,

Farmers well-having tractors, cars,

Females are busy with village products,

Won transport to market in cities,

Migrant is confused and searches for life,

Hundreds of service and skill centers,

Teaching fishery, poultry,  cattle breeding,

Cotton weaving at home to pottery,

Artifacts still relevant domestic tools,

Clay idols, filigree, and paintings business,

Expansive the state of mind ponders,

National Unity day in the school,

School students are singing,

We live here to build our country,

Expansive mood, village kids smile.

 

Title of Poem: Expansive

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Theme: National Unity Day

Date, 31st October 2022, Cuttack

@ Copywrite reserved

 

 

 

FELONY

 

FELONY

 

A crime I confess committed,

Saved me from ignominy invisible,

Silently uttered never to commit,

Declared family, house servant a thief,

My son found his purse missing,

Money a thousand currency notes,

He kept it for the party but borrowed it,

Promised his friends obtained a job,

Before joining his service offered a party,

I knew the party, with drugs, alcohol,

Modern youth seeks vainly, solace,

Kills his soul, condemns life sadly,

I found, house-servant innocent,

Kept silence the party was canceled,

Relieved son packing to leave and join,

I was happy my child was not involved,

Worst fear the job may be loosed,

The child may sink into addiction,

Matter dies out in a week smoothly,

Shattered to find our servant leaving,

Quitting his job to return to his village,

Told me, sir, I am poor, I know,

But, I am not a thief, have not stolen,

I am honest with you, sir, for what I got,

My family in the village survives on money,

My monthly salary I manage only,

Never wanted to steal money at all,

Enough you helped me, found love,

Today heartbroken, fail to convince,

Please allow me to go home to find peace,

But hardly can tolerate the blame,

This was the point I revealed to him,

The felony I did commit knowingly,

He was speechless and disbelieved it,

Sir, why did you steal from your son?

I sat near him, explained everything,

Warned to keep a secret, stay at home,

He touched my feet smiled, promised,

Grudgingly said, sir, I am taking the blame,

Enough help I get from you, I accept,

Your son's prospect of saving his future,

I confess this felony willingly and accept,

Beg pardon from your son, ask for mercy,

The secret I kept to myself but stole,

Stole money from my son was a fact,

A felony in life harbored in my heart,

My child in a distant city gets separated,

Separated from evil friends addicted,

Achievers in life established in a job,

But never he could know his father,

And stole his money, a party canceled,

Forgotten in his memory lane totally,

Even my wife couldn't find the secret,

The house servant only knew,

He kept his promise to stay home,

I visited the temple looked at God,

Committed this felony to save my son,

 

Title of Poem: Felony

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Theme: Crying a father's heart

Date: 31st October 2022, Cuttack

@ Copywrite reserved.

 

 

PRODIGY

 

PRODIGY

 

Writes life story ecstatic unexpected,

Sealed once the camber in my heart,

Heard woman's life is weak, a creeper,

Depends upon her parents, brothers,

Alert to sentiments of life partner,

Seeks mother children's sympathy help,

Desperate for love from in-law parents,

Little tribulations from elders in-law home,

Knows pretty well a mature mind soon,

Automatic senses decency a chain,

Customs of the family frame culture,

Advised sunlight never to touch the skin,

Confined to home predators threaten,

Strange calls knock at odd hours stealth,

Illicit intention tries to trap the mind,

 The human heart, by nature, love, and smiles,

A woman learned sooner cautioned,

Watchful Disaster may happen, clueless,

A sudden, shockingly incident happen,

Shakes of family life disbelieve time,

Those loved, once praised, intimate,

Distanced so soon forget character,

How society families accept so easily,

Unfounded blame and attack on actions,

Disbelieves young woman suspected,

Blood dear elders brothers harbor,

Distances so quickly little consider,

My life is a woman seasoned all,

loved a guy, educated, meritorious,

Handsome, far gentle with manner,

A scholar, I fell in love, knew well,

Poor fellow, but his father is  a driver,

My family was affluent, business good,

Rejected outright the marriage,

After my wedding to the poor guy,

Life began with pleasure turned sour,

Pretty askance n heart for assets, gold,

In-law parents were demanding a lot,

Husband helplessly evading knowingly,

Sacred a love marriage found cracks,

I complained mildly, temper rising,

A cool aloofness I felt unbearable,

That was after a few years of marriage,

I preferred to be single with service,

Learned that woman's life is not weak a fighter,

The capacity she tolerates is phenomenal,

Decades of teacher-ship as a professor,

Understood how to lead a life alone,

Parents had forgotten me, it surprises,

Unequal life exists less discussed,

People love women to sacrifice dreams,

Absorbs inequality in every dimension,

Write today my life never believed,

Life in the dark corner seals a tunnel,

An opened hole could see the other end,

There is light so assuredly inviting too,

I found an orphan child dropping out,

The meritorious girl was a scholar,

Want of money, she was leaving study,

Adopted her legally financed till the end,

Today is my retirement day from university,

Students gave a touching farewell,

My child is an administrator now,

A respected officer with driver assistants,

Where shall I go? I joked with her,

Enough ma you suffered no more,

The prodigy is here to hug you,

If God exists, I see the embodiment.

 

Title of Poem: Prodigy

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Theme: Opportunity lies

Topic: Fiction

Date 30th October 2022, Cuttack

@ Copywrite Reserved

 

ETIQUETTE

 

ETIQUETTE

 

Questions heart of a human fail,

Nature resembles a soap bubble,

Myriad color-spread move transient,

Constantly changing heart is a bubble,

Who built a cement bench near the footpath,

Unknown the purpose, pedestrians bypass,

Under a tree, in shades, at the side of a street,

Cement Bench invites dogs, beggars,

Once while strolling, sit on a Bench,

Most convenient it was for me later,

On evening walks used to sit there,

Intensely observe the river of life,

Busy street, evening hours, noisy,

Flooding street lights' glare scintillating,

I thought people homebound moving,

End of a busy day, urban life faced,

Imagining quietly, sat on the bench,

Kept my walking stick near,

My retired age, walking stick helps,

The support for walking, a need,

The moving cars, vehicle traffic,

Walking sticks for commuters, I smiled,

Life passed moved in this street,

Countless busy travels well-forgotten,

That struck again me an incident,

A woman was calling at the roadside,

I stopped my car there, approached,

Enquired her pleading the reason,

An octogenarian from well to do family,

Her saree, covering her head, showed,

Bangles in colored glass, shining,

The vermilion dot on the forehead, distinct,

A bit perplexed, I got surprised,

Thought for a second curious she was sitting?

At this odd hour on the bench,

Calling people homebound desperately,

Little disturbed commuters evade,

To my inquiries, she explained,

 Her son and daughter-in-law left her,

Thrown out of her home angrily,

After a quarrel with her daughter-in-law,

She was hungry for two days,

Without food scolded her son,

She was sitting on this bench, sleeping,

Immobile pain for starving pleaded,

Give me some water and food,

Otherwise, I shall die soon, help,

From my car, I brought a water flask,

Sat near her, gave some water,

She drank all of it, quickly told,

Please give me some food to survive,

Bought some food from a nearby shop,

Gave her the food and sat quietly,

She narrated her plight sadly,

She owns a house in the city,

Retired from her job school teacher,

Getting a pension to manage life,

Her husband and son drink,

Demand her pension money every month,

They were drinking and beating her,

Her husband watched her eviction,

Looked away, silent never protested,

Socked, she collapsed in my arms,

At a loss, numb, searched etiquette,

What to do for a helpless lady, in age,

Clueless, sat, called the police, helped,

Admitted to a hospital, returned home,

It was late that evening thinking alone,

Civilized human and simple etiquette,

Could save a life, faced a cruel fate.

 

Title of Poem: Etiquette

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Theme: Etiquette is the human touch

Date, 29th October 2022, Cuttack, India

Language: Indian English

@ Copywrite reserved

BURNT HOUSE

 

BURNT HOUSE

 

 

Remember several decades ago,

I feared the sight of the place,

Blackened in time, broken walls,

Collapsed a portion and the roof,

Outgrowth covered the ground,

Chest high bush and wild creepers,

Feared snakes present poisonous,

It was a dangerous place, hunted,

As a child believed ghosts, present,

Never visit that place after evening,

Found birds used to chirp at night,

There was a beautiful story learned,

Grandmother told, it was beautiful,

An old couple with six sons daughter,

They were rich and living with family,

A few dozen of children women stayed,

Magnificently decorated and crowded,

Prosperous business minted gold,

The old Woman was donating gifts,

Poor people used to gather to collect,

Rice, corn, clothes, and silver coins,

Touching her feet, narrating owes,

She used to listen on a chair patiently,

Loved children were given food, dresses,

The person built a temple, worshipping,

A kind and considerate couple were famous,

People loved them the house visited,

From miles away, people knew the place,

Most favorite place for the poor to powerful,

Grew up their children big established,

Separated and consequently moved away,

Separated, built their houses in time,

Parents their daughter was staying,

A fight erupted for gold property,

Gradual but bitter quarrels to courts,

Crestfallen, the person succumbed,

Mother and daughter were sick,

Looted furniture assets by the sons,

The big mansion was empty and lonely,

Collapsing boundary wall cows grazed,

Thieves visit at odd hours for safety,

Poor and starved helpless women,

Demise was only a grace both quit,

The house was stolen to door windows,

The place had become dilapidated,

A businessman acquired the house,

Converted to a warehouse and stored,

The house was packed with jute bags,

Groceries were stored guard watched,

Fights began between brothers to sell,

Distributing equally the cost of the house,

The businessman emptied grains,

Ignited the house one night heard only,

Nobody could see the culprit desert,

It was the site of a few murders,

Rumors turned into widespread gossip,

Less truth, succulent lies, did color,

Named the big palatial house  hunted,

In our childhood feared the place,

Twilight years once visited the house,

Silently stood I was looking at the walls,

Crumbling, gradually, silence killed,

I imagined the glorious time of the past,

It was whispering families grew up,

Flowed here happiness, love, and care,

Saw greed, envy turned to jealousy,

If resulted to unfounded anger ignited,

The burnt house, time etched a storybook.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

Theme: A fiction time tested.