A New, Fresh, Better Lit, Brighter World Poem by Bashyam Narayanan

A brighter world

I am known for
Not taking care of my looks
Not dressing well
Not getting shaved timely
Not polishing my footwear
And for what not

The recent compliant was
About the frame of spectacles
The frame is now six years old
The black frame has a number of
Discoloured patches
Exposing the worn out metal of the same

I was repeatedly told that
I should change the frame at the earliest
Four months passed on
And I did not heed

I had a reason for this
I knew that my right eye is failing
And it has a blurred vision
Though I made out familiar things
I could not see minor details
With that right eye
And my guess was that
I am developing cataract

I kept telling my wife
I would soon change the frame
But within murmuring that
It is not just the frame
But the very right eye needs correction

Pressure mounted from my daughter
And I had to consult the ophthalmologist
After wait for more than an hour
He examined my eyes
With facilities meant for that
And declared that
The right eye has developed a
Third degree cataract
And it is to be operated
For restoring vision

A medical examination followed
A set of bio-medical tests conducted
A general physician certified my fitness
To undergo this operation

After almost ten days
I was on the operation table
On that morning
The surgeon kept asking me
About my preparedness for this
Surgical procedure

With my determined replies
The right side of my face was
Anesthetized with two painful injections
On both sides of the right eye
I was covered head to toe
With a green colour plastic sheet
Exposing only my right eye

I felt numb over that portion
I could not make out
Whether that eye was open or close
But came to know it was open
As a bright light was visible through
That exposed eye

Strange things were appearing
A round shape bright light
Co-centric bright lines
Kept moving here and there

They kept busy with my eye
As I was trying to make out
What these were

I felt something was pulled out
Of the eye, of course with no pain
I heard the surgeon
Telling “some more saline here”
Repeatedly to his assisting doctor
I felt water, probably saline,
Rolling down my right cheek
Each time the eye had a saline wash

I resisted my normal reaction
Of wiping it out
As I was advised to stay motionless

I was pleased when I heard
Surgeon telling
Lens please
As I knew that it is at the end of it all
The intraocular lens will be placed
And I saw flashes of real images

Suddenly it all became dark
The covers over me removed
And I was asked to get off
The operation table

I was helped by the surgeon
And was guided out to a separate
Post-operative room
The bandaged right eye
With a bluish green plastic cup
Carved with air-vent facilities
Over the eye
Was my new look

Stayed so for a day
Went for surgeon’s review next morn
He removed the bandage
Observed that all remain fine
And asked me to open the operated eye
In slow and gentle instalment
Which I did
And I saw to my great pleasure
A new fresh better lit brighter world