They don't understand a word of u

 

She urged Einstein to dress decently,

"Put attires in a professional manner

"Why should I? he invariably argued,

all know me there, u need not bother"

 

To attend his first major conference,

Mrs. begged him to dress up a bit well

"Why should I?" he gave a stern reply

"don't care, no one knows me there!"

 

"Put a hand on d' hot stove for a minute,

it senses like an hour, packed with pity

sit with a pretty girl, gossip for an hour,

it seems a minute, d' theory of relativity!"

 

On back home, forgot d' home address,

he, a professor at Princeton university

asked d' cab driver if he knows Einstein

"want to meet him? well known in d' city"

"I am Einstein, forgot my home location",

d' driver disbelieved, felt as if in a dream

when security saluted at his home gate,

he not even collected his fare from him

 

Once travelling from Princeton on a train,

d' conductor came down punching tickets

ticket not found in vest /trouser pocket,

insanely checked d' briefcase, didn't get

D' conductor said I know you personally,

don't worry, I'm sure you bought a ticket

d' physicist was on his hands and knees,

to look beneath d' seat, after he had left

D' conductor rushed back, politely said

"I know who u are, you had it, I'm sure"

"Young man, I as well know who I am,

but where I'm going, I don't remember"

 

If I'm not a physicist, what next I can be,

a musician no doubt, music is my gaiety

I think in music, dream music, love music,

love, an able teacher than d' sense of duty

 

He told Chaplin, "I most admire your art,

u say no words yet d' world interprets you"

Charlie said your glory is far more greater,

though they don't understand a word of u

A genuine call for fresh customers

Few days left for your online Exam,

go and sleep, how long you'll study

you've to go for selling the masks,

get up early tomorrow and be ready

 

He closed d' book, kept on d' self,

"I try that, but people are reluctant

to purchase masks at 20 Rs each,

as if a big price for a quality mask"

.

"Others insist on designed masks,

with few elements to match d' dress

no fancy factor found in these ones,

only hide d' persona, can't impress"

 

"A mask is a mask, no stuff of fancy,

carry on, go and sleep, don't bother

never grasp the objective of its use,

I've to finish stitching twenty more

 

In d' scorching heat of summer sun,

started the selling trip in his bicycle,

the dry-ups, worse than coronavirus

mom hinted to carry d' water bottle

 

"Mask, take mask……quality mask...

soft cotton masks, all hand-stitched

available in three contrasting colors,

washable, reusable, twenty Rs. each

 

Heard a voice from inside a house,

"oh mask boy stop there, let us see"

"give me one each of those 3 colors",

"Rs20 each ma'm, a total of Rs sixty"

 

Wiped sweat from d' face in hand towel,

in d' shade of a tree, removed own mask

felt exhausted, wished to wet d' dry lips,

a car stopped, lowered d' window glass

 

"Hey boy, to give out masks, noble job,

which society has engaged you for it"?

no free distribution sir, I'm selling these,

hand-sewn by my mom and Rs 20 each

 

Masks given for free as a kind gesture,

d' pandemic period, so troublesome

"my mother stitches and I sell these,

sir, this is our only source of income"

 

The window glass gently pulled up,

the driver instructed to move ahead

"lately realized I was talking to a VIP,

it's d' car of d' PWD minister as noted

 

Sir, in d' family how many members?

the boy knocked the window glass,

"we, only 3 people, but why do u ask"

"it's for your use, take these 3 masks"

 

"If u give the masks to me free of cost,

then how you'll manage your family"?

"used to d' starving and odds, for us to

skip meals one day, won't matter really

 

"You and your family stay protected,

take these for free, precisely for that

if u people put on d' masks on d' face,

evidently d' whole nation will feel safe"

 

"But your mom won't scold u for that?

"no, she never scolds me, if I help poor

please make d' best use of those masks,

u remain safe, d' nation will be secured"

 

Minister was scrutinizing the masks,

he rode his bicycle and went off far

Mask, take mask……quality mask...

a genuine call for fresh customers

Corona pursues own dictatorship

If body feels faintly warmish,

a tear rolls down from eyes

 the nose ever begins to flow,

in d' throat, a bit irritation arise

I profoundly get shocked,

it too enfeebles my persona

even if ignorant of d' illness

I still feel it could be corona

 

If one walks close by my side,

milkman delivers milk packet

if vendor throws d' newspaper,

anyone opens our house gate

know nothing of their status,

if they harbor the coronavirus

maybe a carrier in good health,

I suddenly become suspicious

 

If close relatives visit our house,

or d' neighbors ever send a gift

buying vegetables from a seller,

from ration shop any items to lift

maybe an apt un-diseased one,

hesitancy always use to compel

an alarm instantly rings in mind,

get a suffocating corona smell

 

If hear any lucid debate on fever,

cross anyone climbing d' staircase

if one walks in a depressed mood,

a coughing sound, or one sneezes

instantly a horror affects the mind,

chilled sensation in blood circulates

dreaded dance of corona is visible,

as if hiding underneath their dress

 

If crowd moves in d' open street,

patrolling police jeep gives a horn

even if one dies a natural death,

an Ambulances rushes with siren

heart restlessly starts to thump,

a panic shrouds the tense mind

d' shrewd virus doing a bhangra

ready to engulf d' human beings

 

A relative's wedding ceremony,

or if a close person passes away

one's house warming function,

d' occasion of a friend's birthday

conscience pushes me to attend,

social functions being a binding

attempt to come out of d' house,

but the corona scare pulls me in

 

Eminent doctors, front line workers,

philosophers, renowned scientists

the army, police, social reformers

businessman, farmers, industrialist

teachers, ministers, administrators,

all vexed with its disgusting whip

its monopoly irks the entire world,

yet corona pursues its dictatorship

Beyond d’ pristine sea shore

From d’ mountain peak it had come

travelled all the way,

hindered so often

On several occasions,

bypassed countless  blocks

jumped over all the obstacles

 

Crossed dense forests,

numerous human habitats

pursued  a long curvy course

across the hills and plains

and now all of a sudden,

out of the blue,

in front of her a vast ocean

 

Saw d’ depth of its blue water,

she fluttered in fear

could vividly envision own future

once she bounces in to her lap

will vanish for ever

 

Retreat just not possible,

and she had no other go

simply cannot pull back herself

no choice, no other option

May be anyone in d’ universe

not permitted in God’s creation

it ought to take a risk

and enter d’ boundless ocean

 

It ought to mingle in it

merge her own identity,

candidly become obscure

a dancing, rippling, lively river

won’t remain river any more

beyond d’ pristine sea shore