NEW TOWN

I walk to the construction site

Soil is prepared, r.c. column tries to grab the sky,

Rubbish, building materials scattered everywhere,

Metro railway on the foreground with sidewalls,

Buildings crab to get architectural beauty,

That fits to the new town’s appearance.

I want to search lost field’s greenery,

It is bounded with fencing at some places,

Either it is a mall premises or lawn to sit-and-eat,

Having one big sign-board, “Multi Cuisine Restaurant”,

Cosmopolitan town just takes the shape,

And sign of purposeful commercial intent,

Living here is a boast for those who can afford price,

Cemented whims is established with no grudge,

We need not think of the past, exposure is there

Just to walk beside the glimpse, edge of dream.  

ONE DAY ON THE PATHWAY

Being alone one day

I was walking around

The streets of Kolkata

Then I found

A new building is coming up

In the place of old building

Demolished

And all old furniture

And wooden door and window

Materials are stacked

As if these are antiques

With a hanging notice board

Announcing the activity -

Inviting auction sale

Of all old materials to be checked

For further use

If one likes to repair and reuse

The old valuables, if one can find it feasible.

 

 

I am thinking of my life

I have everything

A house, wife, son, daughter-in-law,

A little grandson,

Yet I am moving alone,

They are theirs,

The baby is theirs,

Wife is in a mood

To farewell everything,

Their eyes cast shadows,

Over the scares and gathering

They want to get benefit,

And I cannot think I am elderly one

To say something valuable

As if I am lonely man walking down roadway,

Thinking of demolished building,

Wherein once lived old residents, with

High spirits and solvency held high

In the time of their sovereignty,

Their power to propagate supremacy,

Now their memorabilia are sold,

As dead great grandmother had not to worry about

What she had one to hold and what she had

Not to possess about on the passage of time.

And in my loneliness,

I am also sold to the art of buying antifreeze of a car

In the equation of theory and data retrieved:

If theory is true, data is true, depending

On hands those are already moved to selling content

That slips down old Sapphire glory

As if harvest morning dismisses cloudy sky.

THE RISING SUN OVER WAVE OF ROOF-TOPS

The rising sun,

First light, cool and soft,

Comes over counting of roof-tops

Into first sight, serene,

Above town and over high-rise buildings,

Not surrounding with the scene,

Counting of sea waves,

Yet in the deep of heart of town,

Wave of roof-tops forms waves

Of astonishing scene of concrete work,

That will merge in our daily scene 

To see and to help interplay of

Counting our life-span,

Merging with stunning window and the sky,

In the context of housing boxes,

Alongside the nature’s gift to see the sun-rise,

Either from hill-tops or from sea-waves.

PLEASE PAY ME WHEN YOU CAN AFFORD TO PAY THE PRICE

One hundred one windows,

Light coming out from famous building,

There are rumors, affluent mouths, and

Massage parlors, and a swimming pool,

Design Empire of locality is landmark to locate streets.

And behind the building, no light is there,

The lane behind the street as if dark day on the ground,

It is one ancient lane of secrets of living.

There is another life behind the street,

Always it is at dusk, light is gloomy,

All crowded workers living, serving others,

People here do live, they buy essentials at one small shop

And there only an electric bulb gives slanting light.

It is here with hundred years of history,

Everyone is here careful while walking on road,

Street dogs bark if strangers come to find someone.

The shop owner is young man sitting with bare body exposing,

He is smiling always to serve people, who buy groceries.

Small quantity of cosmetics is there for younger people,

Flamboyance is here reduced to daily needs,

On query he says, “I am ignorant of wealthy visage,

I am bearer of ancient ethics of my forefathers,

I know I have now to take risk of lending commodities,

To all people who come here to buy things of their needs.”

He puts one placard on the wall of his shop,

“Selling items on credit is my living,

No hiding ecstasy does relate to me.

Turnover of my business is limited to needs of living.

Please pay me when you can afford to pay the price.”