@ Camel Yawn Poem by Sadiqullah Khan

Much ado about nothing;
Tails I lose, and heads I win
Leaves I let go in the happy stream
Flowers I pluck for the petals.
From the outer rim of the emptiness
I see things, to my chagrin.
Nature is this or that, what a folly,
Sickening words parade before me.
A dead man’s saying I recall,
An old sage’s word gets trivial.
Fresh air I breathe and dream
Enough in the night, and a lot ponder.
Buds of taste gone blunt, wine’s color
Not red. Imagination is got dull.
The nirvana’s bliss, and the five rites,
From Tibet, and I added a camel’s yawn,
As sixth. Every day, penning a poem
What ink I spill, what waste of time.
Looking for an image, a poor bird in rain.
An irrelevant quote, out of place;
Adding applause and being flattered.
On the voyage of serendipity, for hours
People say what grave work I do.
A girl hiding her face behind a flower
What charms she displays, I have not seen.
My erstwhile manuscript is hanging like,
Clothes on a rope, for the sunshine.
The publisher, who is like myself
The waiting game, as if on the board of chess.
Ah! My salary, stuck for seven months
The red light on my car’s reserve is a blot.
And when I go home, my wife stick in hand,
For the cats of my kids, food so canned
Alas! I could take a bite, for the taste of sardines
Long ago I have forgotten, neither eaten,
For the clothes I wear, never seen an iron
Yet the art on my necktie is a wow!
The rent of my apartment is long overdue
The utilities I have forgone over a month.
On a walk, in self talk, I go like inspired,
Under a tree on a bench bare feet like a poet.