K SHESHU BABU - POEMS

The writer from anywhere and everywhere is interested in social problems, civil liberties and political rights.
Some works appeared in countercurrents, counterview, scarlet leaf review, leaves of ink and poemhunter and dissident voice
​​

 ' Memes '

When space for expression becomes scarce
Democratic system becomes farce,
Then 'memes 'become medium
To augment momentum
Of society 's new 'modem'
Of operation
To disseminate information ....
When there is little choice
To raise collective voice
Then memes are the outlet
To pick-up the gauntlet
And struggle against injustice
Or any existing unwanted practice ...
Memes are the alternative forces
Reflecting social groups' realistic 'faces'
That assist humanity move forward
Leaving traditional thoughts backward...!

  The 'Distance' ....

What is new
When you advice people standing in a queue
Maintain 'social ' distancing?
Vigorously propagating
That 'corona virus 'can be contained
And its existence eliminated ....
You have been practicing
'Distancing' for time quite long ...
Poor have been distanced
And so have been oppressed
Upper castes separated
Lower castes and castigated
Them and 'quarantined'
Mercilessly from times immemorial
Kept aloof from political and social
Dispensation
And discussion
Now, the disease
Has spread to young and old
Elites and paupers
And vast number of innocents ....
To keep your commercial interests afloat,
Traveled far and wide on planes and many a boat
Carrying the disease and infecting
All those unaware of its presence and nature of infesting
Anyone and everyone who came into contact
Didn't know its deadly impact ....
Elites and the super rich tycoons!
You need 'social distancing ' from us -whom you treat as peons !
We were already socially distanced
Our lives brutally exploited
For your personal and professional gains
Leaving us stranded with ugly disease strains ....!

Silver lining

Pandemics
Disasters
Earthquakes
Floods and droughts .....
Are not new to this world

When dark clouds of despair engulfed
Humans terrified
And groped for a faint ray of light
That would give them a slight
Chance of relief ....

They were given an inch
But grabbed a  mile
Of knowledge
And survived .....

Now, even in the midst of darkest clouds,
They know that every cloud
Has a silver lining of hope
Which keeps existence possible
And humanity moves
Alongwith the earth
Towards progress
​

The unfinished journey
​

When your tiny legs started trotting,
Your parents knew you're conquering
The whole world .....

When your robust legs started running,
Your parents knew you can earn a living
By migrating to 'other' world....

But,
When your tired legs stopped moving
Your parents couldn't guess what's happening
In this callous world....

You worked with heart and soul
To feed your family whole :
Just when you felt happy and relaxed
Covid 19 fell on you and dashed
All the hopes and sold
Your dreams to unrelenting nature old .....

Leaving you to unfinished journey
Of life and livelihood
And march towards uncertainty
And thorny path ahead

The roadside baby
​

She walked daily

Not like those morning and evening walks
Of elites
Who need to dissolve their cholesterol ....

Her sweat and blood
Produced
Profits for her employer
And food for her family survival

Walking was not new
To her ....

Only she had to traverse miles and miles
To go home and survive

No one could estimate her agony
Her suffering

Not even the headlines
Or photo

Only her baby .....

As she delivered
Relieved ....

Her agony
Both by walking
And delivering
Bore fruit
Which made her forget
The pain

Only the baby
Might know her troubles
When she tells unending tales
To persuade the baby to sleep

Only the baby
Might know
The urgency to build
A Just
And equitable
Socialist world
To eliminate
Sorrow
Which the mother had suffered
From the world ....!

(For the migrant woman worker who traveled all the way to reach her village braving all odds)
​

Forget them!

'Atrocities on the rise
Brutalities increase
Cruelty is all-pervading
Inhumanity is spreading ....'
Forget them!
'Health care is awful
Medical care unhelpful
People dying of pandemic disease
No one trying to tensions ease ...'
'Forget them!
Economy derailed
System has failed
No end to external disputes
Diplomacy is not bearing fruits....'
'Seditious ..... Forget them!
'Make America great again!
Boycott China! Nothing to gain !
Threaten protesters with dire consequences !
India, NATO are our real friends!'
'.......... Hmmm! That's right ...!

'Situation is under control '

No matter how many die
Don't ask why ....
Epidemic or pandemic
To history all are 'endemic ' 
Diseases at one time or the other
..... So don't bother !
Time passes
Like flying ashes
The rulers always live comfortably
And issue protocols periodically
Addressing their subjects as a whole
Saying 'situation is under control' !