Homage to the Common Man
Step aside,
Kings and princes-
Hamlet, Lear and Othello,
Fictional tragic heroes,
For long
You have kept us
Mesmerised.
Here comes the common man,
Who watches in stupor
As his family is burnt alive.
The last time
He heard his
Dear wife’s voice
Was on the mobile,
Cinema hall is on fire,
There is no way
we can survive.
So this is goodbye.
He wondered,
Is it first April?
No she wouldn’t play
Such a practical joke,
He realised with shock
He maniacally charged,
And helplessly watched
Flames leaping in the sky,
Panic struck, people
Jumping, just to die.
Later, in the mortuary,
He couldn’t find
His son or wife
Burnt beyond recognition,
He walked out
Like an apparition,
Saying to no one,
They are gone
And I live
Am overcome with guilt…
Tragedy peeping
Out of his eyes
Those windows to the soul-
Having aged overnight
Unabashedly crying
I couldn’t even
Perform their last rites...
[...] Read more
poem by Mamta Agarwal
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