Big Bales Of merchandise. Poem by Nabakishore Dash

Today she awoke a bit late
and was looking intensely at the mirror.
When I questioned her,
she curtly replied that she has grown older.

I was born then into a world where
fraternity and good neighbourhood was very common,
it was a big hurdle then to know
the events, in different parts of globe, happen.

Now the communication is very easy and faster,
We have many friends in Facebook, we don't
know even our neighbour.
I am afraid of opening the television
and the pages of the morning news paper
as the reportage abounds in rapes, scams, hypocrisy,
terror, murder and wars.
At this point I told her a short story
I read in our daily Odiya paper
which I faintly remember.
A business man was carrying big bales
of merchandise on five donkeys who were
moving with difficulties due to the weights
beyond their carrying capacity.
A Santha (holy man) observed,
asked him what the poor donkeys are carrying.

The business man replied that
the first donkey has a bale
of oppression and subterfuge,
its customers are the kings, rulers,
Zamindars and influential people.
The second contains ego,
pride, selfishness and anger,
all men on earth are the buyers.

The third bale is filled with envy,
cynicism and criticisms,
the wise and the learned
buy them with enthusiasm.
Fourth one is of chicanery and betrayal;
common, uncommon,
low as well as high are buyers,
so to say all.
Fifth contains all semiconductor devices
that carry the technical knowhow to
manufacture all armaments from guns,
missiles to nuclear.
Every nation is interested
to be their takers.
The demand of these things is very high
and my income has reached the sky.
Half a century back the demand
was very very less,
now buying them has attained the apex.
Let the world be ruled by improbity,
impudence and imprudence.
I am doing a flourishing business.
The Santha asked him his name,
the reply was 'He is popularly
known as a' Saitan'(Satan) .'
My wife understood the sum and substance,
an hour passed by in silence.