Cameos In Contrast Poem by Ajit Das

Cameos In Contrast



The lean, old man runs a small tea stall
by the roadside near his humble home.
He has no pension, so he needs to work,
selling tea, snacks, a few vending items
from dawn to midday, when his aged wife
takes over and manages until closing time.
Both of them require rest, medical care,
but are scared of falling sick, taking leave
for want of safety net to pay the bill.
So they carry on, making their ends meet.

Across the road resides another old person
in his big building, fitted with accessories
that bring all comfort to modern living.
A fat pension relieves him from hard work,
assures his ageing limbs of rest and care -
he plunges into old age with a safety net.
Workout in gym, steamy bath, hearty meals,
siestas, parties, night club crowd the routine.
But, when the glare dims, a yearning gnaws
deep at the heart: absence of an occupation.

Life’s orchestra reverberates: sometimes low,
sometimes sonorous, but it is most resonant,
when heard from the ground, not from above.

Thursday, November 26, 2015
Topic(s) of this poem: poems
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