5. Change...
Once when I was flirting through
The narrow streets of Benares
I chanced upon a beggar
The face of whose said a lot more
Than what his words could
His eyes a velvety green
His forehead glaring with wrinkles
A chin full of beard,
A mouthful of smile.
What was he smiling for,
Wasn't he poorer than me?
He didn't have any clothes to wear,
Was he mocking me ?
"A paisa babu," said the old man,
"I haven't eaten in a day."
I glanced at my designer watch,
"I don't have change" my chest inflated,
Lying through my teeth
Perspiration dripping from my forehead
Wiping it with a silk kerchief.
Suddenly my cellphone rang
The tone, a latest Hollywood theme
The call I was waiting for,
Through my sunglasses
Glaring at the sun; its sin of shining on my face
I looked up and cursed...
Frustrated on the darned fate
That dared to cross my path and
A glimpse of insecurity flushed through my eyes
"It'll be OK babu" he said;
He found the indignant courage of
Looking at my face...
Somewhere from the narrow streets
Brandishing a shiny knife
A devil arrived and broke my pride
As I fell down bloodied, unconscious
My world whizzed around
My life passed my eyes
As I drew a last breath I saw his face again...
The day I regained my sense,
Nowhere was my palace to be seen
Instead a little girl nursing my wounds
Inside a shanty; my senses alarmed
'What does this mean ?'
"Babu you have no family ?"
Asked the girl, as the beggar entered
"We brought you home as no one would"
I felt a rush of sorrow
Mixed with a reappearing disgust
Not for the beggar this time but me,
I would have left a man alone to die too ...
Alarmed at my vice
Searching for redemption
"Baba I lied earlier" I looked down,
"I had money I didn't want to part with"
Overridden with guilt.
"You had no change son,"
The old man smiled down at me,
"Now you have".
Once when I was flirting through
The narrow streets of Benares
I chanced upon a beggar
The face of whose said a lot more
Than what his words could
His eyes a velvety green
His forehead glaring with wrinkles
A chin full of beard,
A mouthful of smile.
What was he smiling for,
Wasn't he poorer than me?
He didn't have any clothes to wear,
Was he mocking me ?
"A paisa babu," said the old man,
"I haven't eaten in a day."
I glanced at my designer watch,
"I don't have change" my chest inflated,
Lying through my teeth
Perspiration dripping from my forehead
Wiping it with a silk kerchief.
Suddenly my cellphone rang
The tone, a latest Hollywood theme
The call I was waiting for,
Through my sunglasses
Glaring at the sun; its sin of shining on my face
I looked up and cursed...
Frustrated on the darned fate
That dared to cross my path and
A glimpse of insecurity flushed through my eyes
"It'll be OK babu" he said;
He found the indignant courage of
Looking at my face...
Somewhere from the narrow streets
Brandishing a shiny knife
A devil arrived and broke my pride
As I fell down bloodied, unconscious
My world whizzed around
My life passed my eyes
As I drew a last breath I saw his face again...
The day I regained my sense,
Nowhere was my palace to be seen
Instead a little girl nursing my wounds
Inside a shanty; my senses alarmed
'What does this mean ?'
"Babu you have no family ?"
Asked the girl, as the beggar entered
"We brought you home as no one would"
I felt a rush of sorrow
Mixed with a reappearing disgust
Not for the beggar this time but me,
I would have left a man alone to die too ...
Alarmed at my vice
Searching for redemption
"Baba I lied earlier" I looked down,
"I had money I didn't want to part with"
Overridden with guilt.
"You had no change son,"
The old man smiled down at me,
"Now you have".
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5 comments:
A Moving and well defined poem, u had a nice description of the incident ...though its not very poetic..but its clear enough for anyone to see thru the lines..go ahead with scripts like these ..i wud like to c more [:)]
A very nice poem indeed. You still continue to write poems as you did in the school days.
A beautifully written poem I must say.
You are very contemplative .
It's a very good and well explained poem.I loved the last stanza and the part where the 'change' takes place...though much easier than your earlier works...the poem skillfully depicts it's message to the readers.All the best and KEEP WRITING
more poems!!
I wanted to reward you for this poem... but u know wat, I ran out of "changes" :P
Jokes apart, very nice poem indeed... words are simple but they are communicating a lot... way to go :)
P.S- You are a Poet, and now I do know it :D
it was nice reading through the poem. nice flow of thoughts.. yaar keep it up..
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