Bring back d' old-time, free us from virus

By and by a stunning time has come,

nature goes back to its original shape

now d' sky turns blue, bright and clear,

lovely as were hundreds of years back

 

Air now breathable, free of pollution

in d' cities heard birds' free chirping

such a startling time has arrived now,

rivers look clean, their hue changing

 

Baby dear dares to play in d' seashore,

with the rhythm of the dancing tides

all d' old again begun to bounce back,

reverting to nature's indigenous pride

 

Human habits also started changing,

d' kindness, excuses, love, devotion

those make men superior to animals,

all the virtues as if getting returned

 

Dr.s now not blamed money-minded,

police as thieves no more considered

forgotten own home, family for duty,

work in d' frontline, honesty restored

 

Poets, writers, artists no more heroes

safaiwallas, given respect and awards

doctors reckoned as second to Gods,

not afraid of d' corona, no way cowards

 

NRIs too keen to return to own home,

no more d' foreign country attraction

persuading the Government of d' day,

to fix up special flights for their return

 

Migrant workers recalled their village,

paddy fields, a breeze in d' river bank

left the city in a hurry to take care of

d' forgotten family, neglected parents

 

Such a time has truly come, welcome

d' traditional patterns tends to return

happiness is hidden in the fieldworks,

not in rowdy builder's rude regulations

 

Doors to God kept ajar, temples shut,

churches closed, the masjids locked

clay lamps, candles, incense sticks lit,

prayers on in each house not stopped

 

Govt. and opposition seems together,

for each affair, not blaming each other

don't panic in the pandemic any more

now behaving as if are twin brothers

 

Hands raised, heads lowered, eyes shut,

pray, oh my dear Gods, help us, help us

a similar appeal in all d' voice in unison,

bring back d' old-time, free us from virus

Yet his love, a love that never ends

Mom carries for nine months,

evidently beyond any dispute

Dad carries for next 30 yrs,

equally worth no doubt,

Yet unable to acknowledge,

and still, it sits in my mind

d' docile calm-going guy,

looks as if he lags behind

Mother works day and night,

for the family without pay

keeps on doing every tit-bit

with no breaks, no holiday

Dad's efforts also convincing,

for d' family spends d' entire salary

d' chore of both just outstanding,

both put up their best truly

still, it's fixed in the mind,

d' old man is lagging behind

Mom cooks as per my choice,

Dad buys my favourite dress

Mom can read me from my face,

to monitors my promptness

Dad attempt to fulfil d' dreams,

both their love one can equate

no way he is less than mom but,

Mom's love seems superior yet

Don't know why

I have a feeling of some kind

Dad is lagging behind

Whenever I talk over d' phone,

always first, recall my Mom

if unwittingly stumble on a stone,

and get hurt, I cry "oh my Mom"

If all the options shut, and

badly need an untimely aid

then only Dad remembered, yet

not bothered, not even feel bad

When rightly his turn comes,

to receive love from children

no reciprocation of any kind,

children found nowhere then

For years he is undemanding,

yet it is imprinted in the mind

Dad is always lagging behind

Colourful sarees lie in d' cupboard,

also fashioned attires for the kids

Dad loves a decent dress for us,

never cares about his own needs

Mom has enough ornaments,

but Dad, only one golden ring

a pretty one from his mother in law,

she gifted him during his wedding

not worried for own comfort,

even if often left far behind

I don't know,

why still, it's riveted to my mind

Dad is lagging behind

Dad worked hard all his life,

took care of each one in d' family

Mom useful in household chores,

Dad only bosses, it appears silly

Shade and shelter for d' entire family

d' dominating guy, a banyan tree

sense secured on its stout branches,

to chat, sing, dance feel utterly free

Dad d' factual backbone of d' family,

to lift us, readily stoops and bends

may not love every now and then,

yet his love, a love that never ends

Be on d' camel's back, to your destination

He got up into a bus in London city,

and settled into a plush window seat

the Arab man promptly pushed for,

to stop d' play of the western music

 

Bus driver wanted to know d' cause,

other commuters virtually enjoying

Islamic laws tell it's vicious to hear,

in prophet Nabi's time, not existing

 

The polite driver paused d' music,

pulled d' bus to the roadside lawn

opened d' hydraulic doors in front,

placidly directed him to get down

 

D' Arab Muslim reluctant to alight,

inquired for d' reason for doing so

had an authorized ticket to travel,

in midway how can ask him to go

 

D' driver behaved extremely polite,

told, "my dear bro, listen with care

bus/taxi was not there in Nabi's time

no bomb, no plane, d' plane hijacker"

 

No amplifying speakers in mosques,

No RDX, no gelatin sticks, no AK- 47

even no TV, no mobile phones, tabs,

d' world never d' terrorists' heaven

 

In d' name of Islam, do no havocs,

it's a country of d' European union

law-abiding citizens dwell in here,

strictly adhere to state regulations

 

Your pretense can work if applied

in India, mild people, a soft country

this sort of pranks not allowed here,

all know your entire filthy history

 

No arguments, no more rebuttals,

with no more delay, can get down

wait for a ride of d' camel services,

be on its back, to your destination

Never commit such a fathead blunder

The San Marino trip to Italy, for 24 wks

got finalized, I was overexcited

felt blessed to be sent by my company,

I reached and d' untold pandemic started

Unpredicted lockdown everywhere,

an odd occurrence, no scope to go out,

hundreds dying every single day,

scared to open d' doors and peep out

Balcony the safest location to go,

tired of sitting at home for last 3 wks

several others stay in this apartment,

yet chose to go today for a rooftop visit

If by chance, someone is there,

my social distancing norm will be gone

gathered courage masked the face,

looked for a pair of gloves to put on

Covered d' body, almost totally sealed,

careful not to touch latches, lift buttons

d' grills, door handles, bar of d' staircase,

reached d' rooftop with a lot of hesitation

No one there felt quite cheerful,

occupied  an empty cement bench

kept  d' back towards d' tender sun,

heard someone's approaching footsteps

A fair slim middle-aged Italian lady,

came and sat on d' nearby bench

addressed me with a good morning,

with a depressed dry shrunken face

Looked downwards, tacitly passed d' time

in d' front apartment some happenings

a police vehicle was stabled on d' road,

cops in uniform busy exploring something

I asked, "any idea, what's going on there?"

with a half lifted head responded d' lady

"police broke the front door to discover,

an aged female's  half-decomposed body"

She must have died 3 to 4 days back,

for a stink, neighbours informed d' police

photography from various angles over,

interrogation is in progress it seems

Inquisitively I asked, "you know her?",

"Yah, Isabella, her spouse has a factory

1500 km away, stays there to manage,

comes here once in a fortnight if free

Isabella stays with in-laws and 2 kids,

now in the house left no alive person

all killed of d' corona, she d' last to die,

oh God, how all wrong could happen"

Boarded d' train, to be back at home,

to gossip with the kids, dine together

pass valued time with family, in unison

to enjoy the entire lockdown period

To make people aware, publicity made

by mass media, tv, radio announcement

those arrive from outside state territory,

to report in d' assigned centres of Govt.

A 2 wks isolation at home or in Hospital,

might be needed if d' test comes positive

it's no penalty, as most people presume,

only to protect the family and relatives

He never bothered to inform anyone,

in the eagerness to meet the children

enjoyed full one wk with no dithering,

corona kills aged guys, sat in his brain

His father developed breathing trouble,

doctors found him to be corona positive

samples were tested for d' entire family,

no one negative, all contacted d' disease

All shifted to Hospital to different rooms,

separated, not allowed to see each other

d' wellbeing of others could be learned,

only from d' on-duty doctors and sisters

Isabella recovered after a long 25 days,

asked to go home with a release certificate

but was frightfully shocked to learn that,

all except her brawled, had terrible deaths

The sky crumbled on her, she appealed

the coroner to see their dead bodies

but by then no opportunity left, already

one after d' other, all were buried

She came home, it was no more home,

a deserted house, with barren spaces

in all nook and corners only floated,

their corona crucified shrivelled faces

Spent seven days in d' devastated site,

with little or no food and no sleep at all

what to do, where to go she was unsure,

life seemed to be an unsolved puzzle

No relatives came to Hospital to see her,

in corona time, no one can take a chance

nothing was of any use, d' factory, house,

property, ornaments or d' bank balance

She collapsed while sitting on the chair,

due to dilemmas, insomnia, and tension

might have conquered the corona battle,

survival seemed absurd in this situation

Might have suffered a hefty heart attack,

died of it in d' lonely house 4 days back

 her decomposed body is recovered now,

an autopsy only can tell d' cause of death

But how she knows it all in vivid detail?
I got an incoming message in d' mobile
notification regarding d' death of a lady,
of this area with her photo and profile
It's d' same lady to whom I did talk to,
face got lifted from mobile in an instant
eyes probed d' bench where she seated,
no one found sitting there, it lied vacant

A gush of cold wind passed by me,

her endmost appeal I could recall

obscurely mumbled deep into my ear,

never commit such a fathead blunder

Lone pursuits can't achieve greatness

Make the world a better place,

and work with that ulterior motto

I'm there because we're there,

exist with that belief of ubuntu

 

Mingei babies bring a drought,

disease, fearful famine to d' tribe

thus drowned in the Omo River,

not ever sanctioned to survive

 

Left in d' bush to die suffocated,

or choked till ceased their breath

often d' mouths stuffed with soil,

wont to kill d' ill-omened infants

 

The enthusiastic anthropologist,

thrilled to study d' funny habits

in Omo-valley Ethiopian village,

gathered up kids to give out gifts

Worked there for quite some time,

before supposed to return his home

wished to study the habits-culture

of d' remote African tribe awesome

 

A basket filled with all tasty fruits,

fetched from around the region

placed the basket under a tree,

d' fruits wrapped in pink ribbons

 

The man drew a line in the dirt,

announced in his teetotal voice

whenever he indicates then only,

the children should start d' race

 

D' one who reaches d' tree first,

be rewarded with d' fruit basket

need not attempt to flout d' rules,

not to go crazy to reach d' target

 

With index signaled them to run,

peculiarly no one was in a hurry

no run but a walk, a casual pace,

after locking their hands tightly

 

Ran together, reached, sat together,

munched d' delicious fruits jointly

their strange practice stunned him,

but embarrassed to state it as silly

 

Not possible for one to be happy,

if everyone else, deprived and sad

that only ubuntu means in Swahili,

one jovial girl kid brazenly replied

 

No lunacy for a self-achievement,

wish to enjoy the treat as a group

share means to shrink the stress,

achieve d' goals as a single troupe

 

Man a true man, through other men,

d' solitary beings have no existence

seek to work for the common good,

lone pursuits can't achieve greatness