The Bandh

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Unwillingly the shutters go down
all of them
The busy places of transaction
exchange nothing
The overcrowded streets
witness
a lone dog on the prowl
and none may dare to
stem the tide
else face a backlash
from
forces interested in their own cause
Cause?
The merchant rues his loss
the labourer stares at the cold chulha
as money the mover
stays locked in vaults
and does none good
The household whiles time in
restless anxiety
the child stares and wonders
As the whole town
waits for a fresh sun
And under this fresh sun
The forces sit back and look at
What they’ve achieved…
…nothing…

© Sunil Rajguru

For A Cause

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A man fires a gun—for a cause
A missile explodes—for a bigger cause
for every cause there is a bomb
for every bomb there is a cause

My cause is different from your’s
your’s different from mine
so I kill you and
you’d rather drink my blood than your wine

Scruples vanish
races exterminate. Conflicts rage
borders vanish and reappear
countries attack. men age

But mother Earth quenches her thirst
with blood as much as water
and the soil retains its fertility
with human bodies as manure

so go. Defend your cause!
kill they neighbour
mine is one cause
your’s another

© Sunil Rajguru

Death Before Birth

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The birth of a life
in a mother’s womb
A dormant seed in hibernation
waiting to breathe fresh air
and see the world with its tiny eyes
growing slowly, steadily and beautifully
Blind, defenceless and unaware
Of the plot to end it life
by the very medium
whose duty it was
to suffer the labours and give birth
To protect. To feed. To kiss…
But a kiss it does receive
A mother’s kiss of death
for no reason of its own
other than being of one sex
instead of another

© Sunil Rajguru

Cruel Judge

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They said it would happen
but it didn’t
They said he would come
but no
Once it seemed
now it doesn’t
If only I had done this
or that
I wish I could have
if…

Time
The Cruel Judge
Settles all cases
and leaves none pending
No appeals. No proof. No arguments
No going back
No choice
other than
accepting its cruel harsh verdict

© Sunil Rajguru

The Zoo

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Iron bars, cages and walls of pleasure
Four legs walk in fear as
pairs of eyes watch in delight
Free animals come to watch those which aren’t
a spectacle for the eyes
Man, who separated himself from nature ages back
snatches the children of nature
to entertain his own children
Food without toil
an artificial and permanent shade
No right to prey or be preyed
The hunter and hunted are jointly
showpieces in a cabinet
A place where innocents are put into prison
without a crime, trial or judgement
Yet a life sentence is passed on all of them

© Sunil Rajguru

The Slave

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He sits in front of the computer
presses various buttons –> commands!
an alphabet appears, then another and another
thousands, nay millions appear
race along the screen (and behind it) and disappear
They are all his slaves
living in a different world
at his beck and call…
…or perhaps…
he is a slave of all of them

© Sunil Rajguru