Impact Poem by Ratnakar Rout

Breaking news in the morning bulletin
Caught my attention sharply
It was enough to disturb my quiet moments
And I could not peacefully sip my morning tea.

The dead body of the only earning son
Of a village farmer was recovered from a room
Of the low cost lodge of the town
He had no option but to commit suicide.
No alternate earning source
He could manage to arrange for last five months
Being a young software engineer
Who was retrenched from a Mumbai based company
Due to economic slow down,
That revealed from his suicide note left on the table.

He was brilliant and impeccable
The police recovered the body along with a few belongings
And empty pesticide bottle that was enough
To end a precious life
I saw the dead body in the TV
And became dump. I was asking myself
Why did he take such an extreme step?
Could he not sustain life even though he did not have a job?
Why did he feel so insecure about his future?
And dared not to face the challenges ahead of life
Does life worth a job only?
The old parents almost torn in age and poverty broke down
The crowds got swelled up
And all were speechless.

The travesty of fate played its role mercilessly
That took away a blooming life.
A bud was plucked by the uncanny hand
Of the time before it bloomed.
But a question hunted me seriously
Who is responsible for this untoward incident?
Whom do we blame for this?
When physically challenged persons struggle life
And still in faith on their ability to survive.
A young engineer would accept the defeat in life is unbelievable.

When millions are wandering homeless,
Moving with empty bowls for sustaining life,
Countless children roaming with bulging bellies,
Skeletal human frame and desperate looks
Are deprived of two square meals a day
They fight with all odds in life and vagaries of nature
A software engineer could accept a cowards’ death is unthinkable.
Could he be alone held responsible for his incident?

We talk now a day of a world order,
We believe globalisation is the panacea
Of all the remedies we have in the system
But what is its outcome today?
The poor is getting poorer day by day
And the rich becomes richer,
A few mints money and lives life on the heaps of wealth
The mighty reigns over the weak
They impose their views on others to satisfy their wish
When the system works to protect the interest of the strong,
The world order visibly crumbles down like house of cards.

When future appears bleak and uncertain
All hopes and dreams of younger generation smoke out,
They are disappointed and scared of the future.
The lofty dreams they have when appear impossible,
They loose their heart. The love, affection, family bonding
And prospects in life, all seemingly appear futile like illusions.
The attachment becomes weak day by day
They are not prepared to withstand the defeat.
The black shadow of economic melting down is widespread
Is it the beginning of the doomsday?
I looked at my daughter present beside me
With pangs of sorrows in my heart
Who was waiting to leave for her engineering college?

I was in search of words to console the bereaved family.
What message could I send to his parents?
As to how I shall mourn the said demise
Of the young technocrat at this moment
And console the relatives of the deceased
To have patience and not to lament further,
I am longing for.