What Poor To Prosperous Can Give? Poem by Aniruddha Pathak

What Poverty to Prosperous can give?
It has weal, nor wealth, nor withal to spare
To those in perpetual plenitude live,
But soft assets they can to those that care.

Their life, a daylong test of adventure,
Survival subject to day-to-day dare,
And still they live, though in uncertain air—
To west bored to blasé ‘tis no mean a lure.

Excited do they live in penury,
Hustling, bustling amid bare life,
Healing the hungry maws left half empty,
Yet, no'ne dies of dullness, of boredom rife.

With an attitude of innocent gamble,
They need no casinos, nor betting joints,
Nor fancy fortune-feigning ensemble,
They give this free of frown—all their soft points.

Too sterile has world grown like a hospice,
Cultured austerity hanging in air,
And people too polite, good nor yet nice;
But they know how intimate hearts to spare.

Ready are they, aching hearts, still to share,
In giving words to feelings, how to strive,
They show to world how to live more alive,
And be humane, fully bosom to bare.

For, world has grown an isolate island,
Hard know-how used as barricades to bend,
Make next-door neighbours like strangers to stand;
Poor still try and extend a helping hand.

The bug of greed has spread all thru the world,
And the poor here no exception does claim,
The daily struggle has everyone hurled
To pits, and poor do have their share of blame.

And still enough they feel they have to spare,
And say this with ado nor yet false air,
The truth has no compulsion proof to show,
Go close and stay with them, and you will know.
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Musings | 05.07.10 |