The Taxpayer's Question Poem by AAHAN VARMA

The salary arrived today.

The message flashed on the screen.

But before the money reached his hands,

A part of it had already been seen.

His father always told him,

'Taxes help build the nation.'

So he paid without complaint,

Trusting the system's intention.

He paid for the roads.

He paid for the trains.

He paid for development,

Again and again.

Yet every monsoon,

The streets disappeared in rain.

Every hospital queue

Told the same old pain.

The bus was crowded.

The traffic stood still.

The public service was waiting—

But the payment never will.

The question isn't

Why citizens pay.

The question is—

What returns their way?

The question isn't

Why taxes exist.

The question is—

Why basic services are still missed.

Each year the numbers rise.

Each year new promises arrive.

Yet broken roads keep asking—

'When will we finally survive? '

A sick mother waits.

A student stands in line.

A worker loses hours.

And calls it normal over time.

We don't mind contributing.

We don't mind doing our part.

We're just asking—

Why does accountability feel so far apart?

Because the tax always arrives on time.

It never forgets the date.

So why do public services

Keep showing up late?

If citizens keep their promise,

Shouldn't the system do the same?

Or is responsibility

Only a one-sided game?