Stealthily I Put My Foot-- Poem by Renu Beri

Stealthily I put my foot on the last rung,
I had nearly reached the top,
Close to the roof I had always desired to climb.

All of a sudden I felt the ladder wobble,
My heart giddily missed a beat,
Along with the ladder I was hurled through space,
And landed on the ground with a loud crash,
Along with my anguished wail of fear and pain.

I closed my eyes and bawled out loud.
My head hurt. From the sprawling house
Emerged my mother, aunts and old granny.
My mother enfolded me close to her heart,
Her eyes expressed more pain than my cries,
Everyone had some helpful advice to impart.

Slowly I opened my eyes,
And saw the concerned faces of all I loved,
Comforted, I forgot my pain,
And was soon running around looking for mischief.

Many years later I have fallen again,
But this is not a physical fall,
No one can see a fallen me; except me,
No one will come to comfort me or be concerned
For they cannot understand the fall or feel my pain.

My sons are busy making money,
You must have heard-Time is Money,
My daughters are busy with their lives,
My wife thought it fit to leave for her heavenly abode.

The man with superhuman powers
Who had amply provided for, loved and lived with them,
Was now a man fallen from his pedestal,
An old, sick and lonely man.

Provided with the best of everything material,
He has none to hold him close to the heart,
Comfort him or cry with him.
Loneliness is much worse than physical pain.

I would sell my soul for love and affection,
But over the years I have sadly realised,
There are no buyers at the sunset of life.