Poems

Caved in

You know what, buddy? The fact is, nobody cares.

We are self-absorbed and refuse to leave our comfort

Zones. Nobody dares to take a U-Turn: You better

Maintain the status quo and don’t question the rules

Or be prepared to face the consequences, understand

Mister? Or should I say brother and sister? Or Miss?

Just so you know, no voice of dissent, please and

Thank you, don’t even think about upsetting this

Apple cart. Thus, the wounds remain and stay the

Same and continue to fester and turn into gangrene.

The challenges turn into missed opportunities and

Lost and forgotten chances because everybody

Was afraid and failed to take the initiative because

They were apprehensive about change and worried

About what the masses would say, feel, think and

Do about it. Thus, we are lost inside a cave: leaders

With power are threatening to smoke us out while playing golf.

– Archan Mehta

# # #

Life makes ...

Life makes prisoners

out of us all

we do not know

when we will escape

its bars

nor decipher the reasons

for our sentences

running Concurrently

intermittently

legislatively intoxicated

boozes .. hic

..

they shake us

to wake and smell

the coffee

but there are no longer

any beans nor cups

cusps

we have lost the sense of smell

broken clay on soil derelict

gas oil spilled dirtied

it is a drought

without a doubt

no wheat nor water not a sprout

Life makes us

captive of its

non directional waves

so little we

can control

so we pretend

we it have it all

knitted in a neat pattern

but the trees

and mountains

are more likely to be

around to tell the tale

centuries from now

imagine mortal man

cringing !

clinging to memories

arresting judges in chambers

garbs similar white t-shirt and khaki pants

panting gasping for life?

Life has turned me

into

a rotten tenant

when first I was told

I could own the house

and be a permanent

resident

now I being told to pack

my things move but when I

can barely lift a feather

a straw breaking this

camel’s back

it started first

when I was born...

they scammed

saying how

“sweet, “how cute

not telling me

the game was coated

roses, bougainvilleas

have thorns

I am here supposedly to smile

and wish it all way

... in the mean

while

pleasant cordial

negotiations

advocacy

for the release

keys

are helpful not harmful

nor hazardous

after all our “forefathers”

or hateful competitive other village neighbours were

innocent in our chains

their show of love for us deserves praise

not condemnation...

it was not all

murdering, mindless greed

they even envied

our “little cruise” clamped

together tightly neck to feet

so as not to escape that ride

jealous

it was just a business

transaction human cargo

transporting somewhat

heavenly for exchange

– Helen-Ann Elizabeth