Just Like That Poem by Rekha Mandagere

Just Like That
In a span of coming ten-fifteen years
One gentle generation will be wholly extinct
They are the ones that retire to bed early at nights
And are awake and up early
Enjoying taking walks at dawn
They regularly water the plants and yards
And pluck pretty fragrant flowers for Gods
And visit the temple every day

They beam broad smiles
At those they meet on the way
Politely enquire about their welfare
And greet people both the hands folded

They talk using the old telephones
Attend to even wrong numbers
Talking a kind wordor two
They maintain their diaries promptly
And scan the news dailies twice over

They unfailingly observe festivals and rituals
And live in constant dread of the social opinion
Attiredin simple and plain vests and dotis
They walk wearing old slippers

They make pickles and papads
And grind and pound masalas for the home
They exorcise the evil cast by the badeyes
And bargain with vendors for the small rupee

This sweet generation will not be with us for long
With them, you miss their valuable life lessonstoo
This apart, we will miss
Their straight forward beautiful lives
Sans diplomatic guiles or dramatic flourishes
That can instil lofty spirits and ideals
And direct our paths of life with Righteousness
And those lives that pine with empathy for others will soon vanish too.