Quarantine Poem by Ajit Das

Lockdown: time seats heavily
within confines of the walls;
even the corners seem to be sealed.
After the daily chores attended to,
mind wants to fly off through windows
of laptops, smartphones,
sending messages, narrowing
the mental distance that separates
dear friends, each in his own cell.

Everything seems to be brought
to a grinding halt;
attitudes range from
keeping calm and carrying on
to fears that pandemic might leave
a cruel, crushing effect.

Take refuge in poesy,
soaring on the wings of imagination.
The metaphors, similes appear
shriveled, outdated, worn-out.
Recreate new images: mask used to hide
real intentions now very much a part of life.
Engraved on the face
with creative, artistic designs,
it shields the impending danger.

When these thoughts come,
knocking at the door,
filter them through the layers
of your sensitive mind
and turn them positive.

Have faith in the divinity beyond.
Old times will come back
with delight, glory and grandeur,
rejuvenating the everlasting message:
the whole world is a family.

-A.K. Das