Who Will Free The Cage Bird? Poem by Aftab Alam

Once I seen a rickshaw puller with astonishment
Found myself guilty of heaven’s embezzlement
It was like a dream; I saw the scene in wide awake
Such a lovely grandeur creation! Lord’s make.

Quietly wept within, tears rolled with happiness,
Praised humanity and Almighty, for its liveliness
Emptied my thoughts and feelings, felt loneliness
Prayed with head upward for his act of kindness

He was freeing the birds after paying the cost
‘He used to do this regularly’ ah! A peace host
His earnings were meager yet he earned much
I went near to him, for an angelic holy touch

Smiled, seeing others and laughed, while he freed
“Fly high, take your wills breathe, bird; don’t bleed
Make your own world, away from fear and greed,
Away from the human reach, peace must ye breed”

On the stream of time, flowed he, sank in heavy age
Flesh melted and soaked, looked like skinny cage
Now, he was a beggar, yet job was the same, ‘freedom’
‘A repeat of the said words, for their unseen kingdom’.

Few years later, revisited the place, I couldn’t find him
In front of my eyes, he shimmered in air, like a vexed vim
He was not seen by eyes, felt everywhere, I knew just
At last, he freed his soul and body, mingled into the dust

Birds are still in wait, eyes are paved with faith, forever
Dreaming, he will come again to free them, their savior