Let Us Allow Her At Least To Sleep, Leave Alone Caring Her Poem by Bashyam Narayanan

Early morning in January
Morning walk
Poorly maintained Indian road
Walk was not brisk
Reason, traffic
Two wheelers, cars, vans and trucks
Though not heavy
Enough for a walker to be discouraged
Despite all that
She was sleeping
On the cushion of a
Heap of plastic wastes
Curled like a semi circle
Sleeping quietly
Probably comfortably too
Rushing vehicles do not disturb her
Walkers ‘ scratching shoes or sandals
Do not disturb her
She is sleeping as if she is dead
I have at home the comfort of mattress
Fan, air conditioner, quilt and what not
Still a number of night hours spent un-slept
Pondering over a painful past
Or scheming for an unknown future
I do not think I never slept the sort of slumber
She is demonstrating
Sleeping only while sleeping
Before I finished this comparison
Of myself with her
A bike rider, probably a learner.
With an elderly pillion rider
Instructing him
And shouting “turn to right”
Ran the bike over her a little-bit projected tile
And make her, a thin built street dog,
Jump and run off her
Waste laden bed
And a wonderful sleep
We need at least to have the kindness
To let her sleep on our wastea
Leave alone caring here