A Caravan Poem by Jasbir Chatterjee

A caravan
Of cattle and humans
Trudged ahead before me
Down the road
Quietly, helplessly, patiently,
In stoic acceptance of their destiny,
In search of daily bread and livelihood…

For a few seconds,
I paused in my steps,
And turned my eyes heavenwards,
Hoping for a heavenly reprieve from this crazy, mindless existence.
But heavenly offices, my dear, don't work fast, I reminded myself,
Mired as they are, neck deep, in a cesspool of bureaucratic red-tape.
So with a bent head, eyes turned back towards Mother Earth,

I rejoined the caravan
Of cattle and humans,
Trudging ahead before me
Down the road
Quietly, helplessly, patiently,
In stoic acceptance of my destiny,
In search of daily bread and livelihood…