Beyond the beaten track

974

By RK Lakhi Kant
 
As the women carry heavy loads of firewood
Down the busy roads;
On a high of wealth, does the younger generation know
How life is going about in the impoverished homes
In the neighborhoods of New Delhi;
Is it justice? – The poor left on their own with a few currency notes;
Does the city planning include them,
And their way of life;
A life removed from what they know reality to be like, as at home;
An enforced, business like equation now – but,
In all fairness, say the rich.
 
Reality for the younger people; for them,
High rise colonies and microwave cooking is life’s reality;
The poor pay with hard labor for the ‘inebriated with money’ class;
 
Further down the freeway as I take a walk,
A poor man with a big sack on his head
Waits for the traffic to halt at an awkwardly placed red light;
Designer cars and motorcycles whir and roar
Like a mammoth giant, as the man wobbles across.
 
Every zebra crossing made on this stretch of road is
At the wrong place, pushing the walkers out of contention;
Commitment to the machines;
Men don’t matter;
In the hurry which has now become the pace of life.
 
Their lives are miles apart;
One doesn’t see beyond his convenience,
And the other watches from a distance these people speeding by
Everyday;
The mind is too miles apart; one trapped in the misery of life,
And the other seemingly safe from that but not necessarily
Doing something understandable and good for all;
For it is the duty of those who lead to find a way for all;
How long can we remove ourselves from a real life
Situation where everyone will be happy; Yes, it is possible;
See how the bell chimes, calling for attention.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here