Death Poem by Prafulla Kumar Panda

A voice at the door, cool!
so softly calling'- 'open the door'.
who's at this undesired hour?
- a beggar or a kin…who art thou?
if en-route your carrier has failed you?

'i'm Death'- 'my choice you have 'en,
don't mistake me as a guest'
(hiding my shyness, I asked) -
-are you kidding? Or serious?
i've no time. Now, I'm not curious

if you were a guest, I'd cordially host
-but no, I can't, when you've come to feign me- my time and status
a fool you're, though it, you often pretend?
how can you come uninvited,
when I've many works to attend?

like a contract killer, soft spoken and innocent,
that I understand, you have 'en
but, under thy veil,
often some sickness you bring,
or some poison, a rope, or a lethal weapon to sting?

how unceremoniously you killed my uncle
a great loss that we're unable to bear even years after
so innocent, and so kind he has 'en. Hasn't harmed you even
it's unkind and a gruesome killing
a ruthless killer, you have 'en. You're cursed-
-always alone you remain and never get married!

though, killers roam in the street; to them, you've no reach
terrorists burst bombs and break peace,
and bandits assemble in dark to loot and kill
or pirates often clash upon a ship
how deaf and cold, you have 'en,
to a mother's wailing, whose child's kidnapped last evening?

i'll sue you at law for being so non-functioning,
and idle partial-er, on doing nothing; …fear them?
or ye one among them, ye wretched being,
born to terrorise only to innocents and kind?
and to orphan their kith and kin?
(Written in memory of my uncle)

©Prafulla Panda, India.