VENERABLE

 

VENERABLE

 

 

Confess an inglorious past now,

Reluctant to open his heart vow,

Knows the world around bright,

Education gave him an insight, (1)

 

Underneath darkness existence, 

His cursed teenage hurt intense,

Poverty less self-chosen happens,

Sorrows behind hunger sharpen, (2)

 

Assume razor-sharp knife thirst,

Reject to drink water, hunt past,

Thirsts were lost parent street child,

Never could know his past wild, (3)

 

Alas, parents forgot him on the street,

Collected by city authority greet,

Feed him well-offered clothes, love,

His life had no identity less solve, (4)

 

Studied well free schooling dwell,

Merit the gift of a cruel fate hail,

Succeeded in career scholarship,

Charity from senior person leap, (5)

 

The gown gold medal university,

Called this person uncle sanity,

Prompting him to study higher,

Praised the performance assure, (6)

 

Money no concern uncle provide,

His top post, police officer pride,

Never asked for his gratitude money,

Uncle loved him, distance funny, (7)

 

Fewer uncles accept credits, assure,

He acted as an umbrella secure,

Pointedly advised for a marriage,

He remembered teenage mirage, (viii)

 

Sobbed not few tears, he smiled,

God stole his parent's lives mild,

The orphanage, then uncle restored,

Dreams he less dared procured, (9)

 

No relatives, father, mother, sis,

No brother lo uncle prefers to kiss,

Never told, like his son, openly,

His fatherly protection solemnly, (10)

 

Confess the inglorious past well,

Left on a street, today honor fuel,

The ambit of emotion ruptured duet,

His wife, children, and life promulgate, (11)

 

God is not fate merciless, beacon,

Time heals wounds, life reckon,

Discover humanity exists visible,

Cruelty, poverty, illiteracy simple, (12)

 

Guesses soul search, frequent,

Where are his parents, relevant,

Pray against his raw wound little,

May Lord help him trace belittle, (13)

 

Their blood flows in his vein raw,

Found his mother's embrace, saw,

Guess his mother, undone indeed,

Must be crying a lot curse deed, (14)

 

Father, if ashamed, less forgiven,

Whether he searched him given,

A police officer has seen a couple,

Poverty social restriction topple, (15)

 

Inter-caste, interfaith conflicts,

The child before a marriage inflicts,

Unemployment insolvency hunt,

Unwanted child shameful taunt, (16)

 

His police officer training, strong,

Forgave his parents, deeds wrong,

No more pittance askance love,

Search his venerable link resolve. (17)

 

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Title of Poem: Venerable

Themes: Precious parents

Written: 19th August 2023, Cuttack

@ Copywrite

 

 

HEARTH

 

HEARTH

 

 

Eulogize the poor man's hearth,

Incomparable, won eons, earth,

Time changes everything cruelly,

Erase spectacularly extensively, (1)

 

Disappear, nothing permanent,

Inventions appear as instruments,

Flooded home craze modernity,

Hearth inconspicuous a reality, (2)

 

Firewood earthen hearth duet,

Stood millennia boiling create,

Added earthen pots sun-baked,

Are relevant to kitchen racked (3)

 

Home food rice dal vegetable fry,

Villages procure from fields rely on,

The river bends beside a village,

Variety of fish turns curry craze, (4)

 

Roasted potato and vegetables,

Charcoal burns tastes, enables,

The pillowing smoke intoxicates,

Spreading aroma spices, detects, (5)

 

Cow in the backyard, life remember,

The oven was the earthen hearth, user,

Cheese, butter, ghee, and cakes,

Milk home produced, makes, (6)

 

It was seven decades ago to wait,

Still in a village home perfect,

The sweet taste is unique,

Lingered still today feel piqué, (7)

 

The village produces oils varieties, 

Pure little adulterated facilities,

Simple folks lack amenities,

Unthinkable urban life reality, (viii)

 

Grew but accustomed time recognize,

The difference between a city surprise,

The gas burner, cooking gas,

Electric oven microwave alas, (9)

 

Thousands are paid costly, yet,

No smoke automatic estimate,

In a minute, prepare dishes well,

The charm of hearth withstood, (10)

 

Incomparable taste purity well,

Not packaged ingredients fail,

Tasty leaves or fresh vegetables,

Collected fish from river treble, (11)

 

No way ice-packed fish or meat,

The village produce and a hearth fit,

Homemade spices and aromatic,

Reminded a past teenage, exotic, (12)

 

Village women, if busy cooking,

Attract homemade cakes ring,

Life changed to city life, honestly,

Opportunity for work earnestly, (13)

 

The left village, the hearth got silent,

Vanished the dreamy lives vent,

Missed warmth of hearth recall,

Cold season lo burning charcoal, (14)

 

Sit around in a group of siblings tight,

Mustard oil, fried rice, onion, light,

The gossip endlessly hunts memory,

Missed our hearth n warmth sorry... (15)

 

Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Title of Poem: Hearth

Themes: Village cooking places alluring

Written: 18th August 2023, Cuttack

@ Copywrite

    

BENUMBED

 

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

 

 

VITRIOLIC

VITRIOLIC

 

Profess love is pure, uniting heart,

Profess life should be selfless art,

Claim friend in need friend indeed,

Claim parents' debt can't be paid,

Claim teacher is like God, obeyed,

Profess service to needy divine,

And service to God equivalent,

Quieter moments introspect well,

Uttered frequently vehemently,

Tried best to impress listeners,

Some inner dark corner of my heart,

Suspicious of believing myself, (1)

 

Relished applause clapping love,

The relished trust of friend helpful,

Seen grateful eyes hoped sympathy,

Life passed acting intelligent,

Acting decent benevolent life,

Oozed enough soothing words,

Melodramatic healing touch, lies,

Brought smiles erased tears believing,

How much I prayed for others,

How much suffered at others' plight,

How many nights awake concerned,

Thought intensely for their solution,

How much earnings are shared, (2)

 

To assist poor children, females, old,

To donate orphanage shelter homes,

To contribute funds for social service,

Blatant lies nevertheless acted sincere,

Believed neighbor, citizen, netizen,

Accepted the leaders and officers a lot,

Little anyone challenged probed,

Little media doubted questioned,

Honored in the society live happily, (3)

 

Accumulated assets, let's not mind,

How performed amassed private,

Dare not to ask for, labored hard results,

Three-storied mansion attendants,

Maintain several bungalows in cities,

Well-maintained provides luxury,

Lead a comfortable life, family respect,

Children believe me and my better half,

Trust in the capability of father or love, (4)

 

Smiled rarely leading my life stable,

Stability due to mind, a little confused,

Astonished children distanced,

Better half battered less confess,

Choosing children to stay with them,

Trusted servants left unnoticed,

Quitting people on whom I depended,

Alibis failed to detect trapped,

Believed allowed them to move soon, (5)

 

Lonely silent nights Often examine,

Pros and cons benefit loss summarize,

Where I stand in the twilight years,

The silence is torturing acutely,

Start listening to whispers heart says,

Vitriolic, your conscience stays,

How much you gained, O soul,

Cheating innocent hearts betrayed,

The reality only betrayed yourself, (6)

 

Love that was visible only fear,

Praise admiration flatter you got,

Terrified life knew vengeful attack,

Preferred to ignore convinced you,

Very well knew your crimes sinful life,

Inkling idea failed your mind,

Only believed you fooled everybody,

Life cried out hoarse you fooled me,

Deprived you of purity of love,

Deprived you of the serenity of peace,

Deprived you of pure happiness,

Vitriolic the soul and heart chained,

A mind, blind that ruled your life! (7)

 

 Pen: Bijayananda Mishra

Title of Poem: Vitriolic

Themes: Contemptuous heart, exposed lies

Written: 16th August 2024, Cuttack

@ Copywrite