BROKEN BRIDGE

 

BROKEN BRIDGE

 

 

Intimacy once happened life, intrinsic,

Stimulated energy opulent happiness,

Forgotten feet upon ground ai the air,

Jumping spirit yet shouted at nothing,

Vacantly voiced overjoyed heart freely,

Worth living an insignificant life, lucky,

Every second preoccupied mind sense,

Let not the relationship melt into the air,

Clasped her hand, promised everything,

Middle-class youth educated dreamed,

Dare to dream angelic face disbelieved,

Study success and career enabled today,

Changed unpolished dirt clothes a few,

Dress immaculately, polished differently,

The unruffled dark oily hair, shy face,

Fumbled speaking confidently, remember,

How time-motivated metamorphoses,

Fluency in his utterance, suave and gentle,

Sparkles in his dark eyes were his past,

Still glinting with smiles attractive,

The voice, soft and soothing, introduced,

Talking to his girlfriend confidently,

Secured life plum post salary solvent,

Enough to trap the heart of a young female,

The introduction then discussions,

The thickening friendship's gradual bond,

Engrossed in a talk at restaurants, parks,

The pair in love are seen over the city,

At odd hours on the lonely riverfront,

The girl with an appeasing dress, fragrant,

Trying her best to match the youth,

She gets acquainted with him, informed,

His name village parents status well,

Conveyed her details equally by now,

The bridge has been erected, fascinating,

Growing strong by meeting every odd hour,

A call is ringing at odd hours continuous,

Calls lasting for hours seem never-end,

Growing intimacy families aware of,

The pair now visiting places enjoying,

The bridge is emboldened by trust,

Well understanding each other, nature,

Aware of habits, passion, each harbor,

It has been weeks past a few months,

All of a sudden surprised young man,

His girlfriend proposed marriage soon,

He was happy and agreed to marry,

Alas, the climax collapsed before it started,

The female got foreign service prestigious,

Her family blocked decided to date, time,

Her father got adamant and canceled,

The future of the daughter is visible,

Should not surrender her life, a housewife,

Future prosperity both guaranteed,

Missing girlfriend these days, sadly,

The youth contacted her and said goodbye,

Astonished and she disbelieved,

She is rejected by him, happy,

Socked to see the broken bridge,

Collapsed from both sides, lost pillars,

She came to know about his migration,

Foreign job classy life than family life,

Equally strolled her long future,

He wished her excellent career status,

Speechless, the female in a sock,

Started probing the broken bridge,

Equally aspirant selfish heart spare,

Contemplating her soul and how to share!

 

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Title of Poem: Broken Bridge

Themes: Equally aspirant a couple separated

Written: 2nd July 2023, Cuttack

@ Copywrite 

 

SECRETS

 

SECRETS 

 

It was decades ago, our teenage,

Innocent lives unaware of life really,

Far from complex world scrutiny,

Believing nature swallows the mind,

Gossip rumors conversation link,

The unruly mind forgets time, duty,

The culvert while going to school,

Sharing sweets, sour paste together,

Sister was elder a few years senior,

Our lives remember that culvert,

Why do we feel stealing from home,

Share stolen foods licking taste buds,

She enjoys the glint in my eyes,

Keeping secrets, eyes exchanges,

Countless smiles stories are long,

We sleep at a nearby pond and sit together,

Peanuts fried rice mixture packed,

Sister keeps these foods in a school bag,

We share to finish completely return,

Attend our classes, Didi wait for me,

We both maintain coin boxes sealed,

 I deposit more than Didi's gifts a lot,

Quarrel begins my box gets full,

She demands my coins I refuse,

Get threatened on licking secret,

Once I failed to submit homework,

Get caught by the teacher, kneel down,

Sitting in front of the classroom holding ears,

She found me and promised to be silent,

Kissed her, just out of fear, placating,

Bag of secrets we both carry listed,

Retort at her mild threat elaborate,

Next few moments, slugfest was childish,

Quarrel continued the entire night,

Cut off relations innumerable times,

The first one is for me to surrender to her,

Sleep on her lap knowingly in tears,

Pacify her silence and bring out smiles,

She was my teacher and corrected homework,

My passion is to disturb her while she studies,

She shouts at me; I break into laughter,

She runs after me but never catches me, 

Ma and Papa smiling, talked mutually,

Little can I understand, don't know,

Culvert or pond, we sit, she explains all,

Believes her by heart discloses mistakes,

She warns but never exposes me,

Our lives entwined fond each other,

The silk thread Rakhi with sweets,

Wait eagerly for time didi ties in my hand,

Never could understand the subtle meaning,

Grew up, married, established in life,

I broke down the day didi left home,

Hadn't taken food, was crying consoled,

Tols Ma once had to leave her parents,

Met friends, loved parents, my wife,

Have children I love more than soul,

But the sister is in my heart bonded tightly,

The silk thread binding an invisible knot,

Kept her secret lifelong she confessed,

Didi was in love in college silently,

Lost her guts to protest, selected by her Papa,

Her marriage she surrendered reluctantly,

Couldn't gather her courage to tell her Papa,

Kept secret from Ma, and I protested a lot,

She told me a daughter is for family prestige,

Secrets I kept, locked, didi trusts,

She is my sister, friend, and teacher.

 

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Title of Poem: Secrets

Themes: Bond between younger brother and sister

Written: 1st July 2023, Cuttack

@ Copywrite

 

A BIRTHDAY

 

A BIRTHDAY

 

Probe life amazingly complex,

Myriads of hope desire index,

Born with no golden spoon,

Birth in a family poor distinct,

Human never chooses wombs,

The creator plays nicely unknown,

Accept birth later understood,

Succumb to reality, adjust well,

Abject poverty a curse enumerate,

The list of suffering pain is longer,

Hunger is perennial without food,

A thatched cottage, mud-walled,

Bamboo and paddy straws roof,

Sleep on a straw mattress, teenage,

In one room, parents, children sleep,

At night moon shines through the roof,

The room is lighted by sun percolates,

If Lord deprived us, siblings sad,

Crumpled our teenage dreams,

Burning utter hope reminds me today,

How much struggle in life but faced,

Successful in studies career found,

Inroad for wealth and fame opened,

Obscure unknown rustic boy no more,

A respected officer with attendants,

A few vehicles, driver, bungalow,

Furnished as life changed luxurious,

Parents with me, brother, sisters,

Relatives scantily recognized us, visiting,

Had in due course family children,

Birthday never could know to celebrate,

Wide circles of friends, kin, neighbor,

Converging gleefully to my residence,

The cake, icing sugar inscribed,

Happy Birthday and name candle lit,

Extinguish the flames instantly matched,

Loud claps praised showered happily,

Every year the moments I hide feelings,

Lived not with cakes but without rice,

This life is decorated with dress positions,

My wife knows me, my heart, holds my hand,

Fight my tears not to embarrass guests,

Not to disturb my children, parents,

The day, with a fine dinner, goodwill,

The man living in this frame remembers,

Wanted to celebrate a birthday alone,

Chance I got to meet a child on the street,

Playing with cycle tire torn clothes,

I thought he was my childhood starkly,

Called him to the footpath and sat together,

He was hungry has not eaten for a day,

Visited his home small hut under a tree,

Arranged groceries, cooked prepared dishes,

The child, his parents his siblings enjoyed,

The aromas touched me to reminisce,

I Jovially revealed my birthday to them,

The whole lot was happy, smiling, noisy,

We sat together on the ground, had lunch,

Sumptuous meal tasty the woman cooked,

Worth watching children's happiness,

Confide a birthday so happy grooved,

Their glittering eyes, smiles etched,

Waited for that day, guest my family missed me,

Passed that day with the child, his siblings,

Back home late at night intimated to my wife,

Understood, she hugged and wished me,

A birthday was a different heart celebrated.

 

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Title of Poem: A Birthday

Themes: Celebrating childhood reminisced

Written: 30th June 2023, Cuttack

@ Copywrite

 

BELIEVED

 

BELIEVED

 

 

In front, across the street, a house,

Double-storied but empty, totally,

Lives the lady decent and mannered,

Advanced in age but alone living,

Her husband expired a few years ago,

In front of our bedroom window,

On the balcony, Madam used to sit,

Morning rays fall on the verandah,

She used to read a newspaper on a chair,

A lady servant, a driver maintains,

Rarely goes out to work in the city,

Cordial relationship Knew her well,

Her only child is at a foreign shore,

Completed study, married and works,

Settled happily corresponds often,

Feeling sad and concerned for her,

She is not pulling well and feels helpless,

Intermittently I enquired about her health,

She was bedridden for the last few days,

Attending her with medicines, food,

She told intimated her son to come,

Intimated her son on his arrival,

In the morning, she is on her balcony,

Watching desperately, son's arrival,

Knew she was sick and concerned,

Her white saree was cleanly covered,

Sitting on a chair on the edge, attentive,

The clock rolled quickly to afternoon,

She was sitting there, quietly calm,

Looking at every bus, car, pedestrian,

Her gaze was telling a million words,

The evening is only past, feared and looked at,

She was still sitting there composed,

Disturbed, she was sick open air facing,

I realized she was serious, if not rested,

Went to her home and goaded her a lot,

To take rest and sleep her body needs,

Socked by her reply, she told me,

She used to wait for him for hours,

Her child used to visit college return,

Quite late, he arrives home to meet her,

Never could her child know a fact,

For hours used to stand near the door,

Wait till her child returns back,

Remain alert till he goes to his bed,

Morning bus her son picks up,

She used to stand at the door,

Till the bus vanished from view,

She never fails to get aware of his time,

Leaves automatic, everything to stand,

Till he is in sight, takes a long breath,

Eager for his arrival, she wanted,

His first sight of coming home today,

Surprised by now, she silenced me,

Continue to sit on the balcony too late,

She slept on her chair, felt tears,

Went back to my house, greatly worried,

Her son arrived in the morning and saw,

Dashed to her home and found her unconscious,

We admitted her to a hospital quickly,

I told her son everything in detail,

He was shocked, speechless, then crying,

Believed her mother, never lose her,

A few days after Madam returned home,

Packing her baggage with her son to travel,

I congratulated her travel with her son,

She replied she believed he would return.

 

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Title of Poem: Believed

Themes: A mother waits, tests patience

Written: 29th June 2023, Cuttack

@ Copywrite