With So Much Riches Standing Tall, Proud And Around Poem by Bashyam Narayanan

With So Much Riches Standing Tall, Proud And Around



Pre-fall afternoon
Dispersed sunlight through
The rain-non-bearing white clouds
A less busy traffic
But a very important road
Of one of the top ten cities of
The most advanced country

People looking rich
And demonstrating their richness
By enjoying their lunch
In the open
On the pedestrian pathway
Both sides of the road
Devouring a wide range
Of cuisines
Gulping sips in between
Of their favourite beverages

Walking along
Made me feel the show of
Prosperity and the glory
Of the nation
With tall sky-scrapping
Business houses
Cars of others’ envy
Passing in dignified style

I was to believe
That this nation
And its people
Have no taste of poverty
As anything a human
Could think of having
They have

As I was walking on the
Very clean and neatly paved
Platform
I heard some male voice
Singing loudly
“Let this day prove to be
More prosperous
To you
Help me with a quarter ($) ”

The male voice
Coarse but in sustained pitch
Thrashed my belief
I had no doubt
Many of the people
Enjoying their food
Would have heard this cry
Of a fellow human being
Seeking help and support

It was not much longer before
I came off this shock
I saw a display
“Single mom
Struggling with the kid
Will any one help? ”
And a thirty plus woman
With a kid
On a pavement
And by the side of the
Colourful chrysanthemum

It has become a regular scene
On one side of the platform
Decently dressed
Eaters with laughter
And the other side
Close to the road
Seekers after probably a disaster

Had it been my country
The sight would be less hurting
As most of us
Are yet to see our ends meet

If our country is less fortunate
This country is most unfortunate,
Which is not able to take care of
The miseries of
A handful of have-nots
With so much riches
Standing tall, proud and around

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