Papa loves a land
That doesn’t let him reap
What he sows
It turns and beats another crack
Into his soul
I see the weathering in his eyes
And I’ve watched from on the fence
Our neighbours grin and gather
All their ill-gotten gains turn their spit into lather
Papa stays an honest man
Despite the heat and toil
While the others, smug, high on spirits
Polish off their spoils
Then settle down in their verandahs
Airs conditioned without grace
Complain that the land will never change
The soil is corrupted down to the bedrock
But they have never been rocked out of bed
To tend to it at all
And I may have been small
But I never saw them, not once
Crack their backs after sunset
From a day spent slumped
Papa stays a working man
He tries to keep us healthy
I know it chews him up inside
He eats more to hush his belly
While they cut into their beef at night
And carve their days out of saffron
Self-proclaimed pundits
Telling others they’re the mad ones
Papa, why don’t you leave?
How do you turn the other cheek
When all they’ve got from ear to ear
Is holy shit stuck in their teeth?
Papa, I’m trying really
To survive the bheedof masks
They shower in the cries of the land that they have
Then peel off the dead skin
And sit before screens
Saying “Aye-haye!”
At each reported scream
Papa, what’s the point?
I’m failing to see
I love none and no land loves me
Why do you defend that
Which makes you bleed?
Papa, I don’t love the land
The way that you do
Partly because of the way it treats you
Tell me, papa, how do you stay you
And how can I be like that too?
Beautiful
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This one brought tears to my eyes !
God bless you always !
Baba, till I read this, I did not want to say what I have always wanted to say. You have a great future, and you are much better than what I thought you will be. Our,grandson, our future, God bless you and be with you always. Nana
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One of your best, Arnav. The emotion is so palpable.