Expectant Gaze

Muddled Head

Heavy Heart

I Walk

Not To Seek Solace

Just To Breathe

Behind My Blue Mask.

Soon Enough

I See Them Lined

As They See Me

I Catch Her Gaze

Welcoming

Hesitant And 

Expectant 

And Then Another

Yet Another

All Lined Up

Seeking A Buyer

To Their Earnest

Livelihood.

Further Down

A Familiar Smell

Wafts Through The Air

Crispy Pakodas

Fresh Out Of A Fryer

As She Serves

A Hungry Soul

I Catch Her Gaze

Welcoming

And Expectant

Luring Me 

To Buy Her Wares

So The Old Couple

Could Have A Meal Tonight.

I See Them

Everywhere Now

Those Expectant Eyes

That Rickshaw Puller

Seeking His First Ride

On A Listless Day

That Tiny Shop

Run By An Old Grandpa

Offering Photocopying

In A Locked Out City

That Chocolate Store

Newly Opened

With Dreams 

That Shattered Too Soon

That Flower Lady

Who Walked Miles

To Get A Fresh Bunch

Before Daybreak

Stringing Them Together

In Hope

Of A Faithful

Wanting To Please

His Despondent God

An Expectant Couple

Looking Beyond 

The Curtained Confines

Of A Locked Up Temple

Seeking Blessings

From Their Invisible God

As They Hope 

For A Girl

To Hold Together

The Last Few Shreds

Of A Broken Marriage

The Juice Center

The Vegetable Vendor

The Tea Maker

The Gift Shop

And The 

Hungry Mongrel

Seeking A Friendly 

Sapien,

A Expectant Gaze,

They All Carry.

For

An Expectant Gaze

Awaits Them

As Their Guilty Eyes

Make Their Way Home

Not Having Earned

A Penny

In A Whole Day’s Toil.

Hungry Eyes

Hopeful Souls

Seek Answers

How Much Longer Mom?

Before We Are Seen

By This Decaying World

And Its Apathetic People

How Much Longer Dad?

Before They Realize

We Are Humans Too

Not Castaways In 

The Peking Order

Of Economic Choices

A Muddled Head

An Even Heavier Heart

I Trudge Back Home

Unable To Breathe

Behind The Weight

Of An Expectant Gaze. 

Frail Old Aunt

There she was
walking
a tiny step
after another
gingerly balancing
on uneven surface
invisible footpath
amidst rushing
unseeing traffic.

She walked
tired
dragging
her frail old body
through yet
another day.

I saw her
that day
as I rushed
through my day
sped past her
without a second look.

A momentary flash
Maybe
Just maybe
today can be different
What will it take
just a moment longer
to give her a ride
ease her burden
for what are
a few precious moments
in my scurrying life.

The thought vanished
as fast as it arrived
and I continued
speeding
to aimless
destination
in pursuit
of a youthful dream,
burying my voice
deep in my busy ness.

A few months
later
as I sped
again
the familiar road
of uneven surface
invisible footpath
amidst rushing
unseeing traffic
She was missing
and so was her
frail old body,
never to be
seen again.

A pang of guilt
crossed my heart
as I sped past
yet another day
to an aimless destination
in pursuit
of a youthful dream
that could not stop
a moment longer
in service of
a frail old aunt. 

It's Time Now

It is but the human condition
To ignore the impending doom
For life to go on as usual

As I walk my streets
In the predawn breeze
I see not the beauteous universe
Just human discard
Thrown with scant disregard

Drunk in our own ego
For we are the owners of the earth
And everything it means
It belongs to only me
For me to treat it as I please

Ah! The Ego of the human condition
Believing it to be lords

Scurries away this scant ego
On the first sign of danger
For so frail is our ego
To be scared of its own folly

Maybe the virus is the antidote
To the human virus
Whipping it out
For its time has come

Your time has come
We will reclaim the earth
From the scum
Of human waste
Roar the silent trees
As they stake claim

To God's Earth

Ruffled Hair

Ruffled hair
unkempt shirt
holed shorts
sockless and
unlaced shoes
He walked
to school
looking down
staying invisible
Furtive glances
playing hide and seek
through piercing eyes
he makes his way
to his
daily torture.

A moment
longer
he awaits
becoming steely
sighing with
resignation
he enters
the rusted gate.

Whispers
become
full blown
laughter
as crowds
circle his
small frame.

Poking sticks
and furling stones
greet him
to this
temple of learning

Not one
touching him
disgusted as they are
by his unkempt being
and smelly
unbathed body
Holding noses
with
disgruntled noises
poke they do
and run as fast.

The brave ones
kicking him
around.
Quietly, he endures
It's momentary
right?
Not knowing
the trauma
has made
home
deep in his
body
for a
lifetime to come.

An invisible
corner
in a dingy room
he seeks
at best
hoping.

In he walks,
purposeful
Cane in tow
with
starched white
and pleated blacks
Shoes as
clean as new
and hair
gelled
nicely
into place.

Scans he
with disdain
his proteges
who await
in fearful silence
for their inevitable
turn.

Its always him,
sharp eyes
make the silhouette
of his
hidden frame
a glee
shone in his eyes.

Ram he roars!
sending shivers
down the
entire herd
his voice
booming
the cane plush
ready to fulfil
its master's bidding.

Not again,
groans Ram
Why do I
even try,
he walks
dragging his
unkempt being.

A swish
cuts through 

the still air
splitting skin 

in abused palms
Yet
another day
in paradise.

Feeling
exceptionally
generous
he demands
for parted cheeks
in between naked legs
Another swish
cuts the pregnant
air
tearing through
dark pink skin
in gleeful joy.

Ram holds
willing
himself,
'not for him
a single tear.'
Again and again
the master goes,
splitting cheeks
to expose bone
and broken spirit.

A silent tear
the class bully
too drops
as he
watches
this dance
of terror.

a gloomy day 
ensues
in dingy corridors
of broken walls
wailing
the loss of childhood
for yet 

another day.

Not one
ruffles his
hair
no more
staying away
from his smelly
unkempt being,
bloodied body
and
broken spirit.

Never again,
he promises
as he takes
his last step
out of the
hallowed
gates
of this
temple of ruin.

Years later,
as he brutalizes
his nth victim,
with swishes
of bloodied cane
robbed
years ago
from a soulless
master.

Long forgotten
his own
body scars
for they
have seeped
deep in his soul
showing him
the ways of
world
and
he in it.

His hair
stays ruffled
stays
forever ruffled!