Smoke in Diwali

I stood on a quay of an artificial pond
A row of skyscrapers on both the sides
The fourteenth storied building built by
Men and women labourers sweated
They exhausted their energy for those

Who wouldn’t find them anywhere
On this enlightened day: they are absent
A synthetic sign of urbanity; civil in concrete
The smoke of crackers enthused the inmates
Me, too, enjoyed the smell of chocolate bombs

Flouting the Govt forbidding, people are
Beside themselves with joy, only joy
Each of the Flats glowed for the Trust
Silhouetted against the beautiful evening scape
The roadsides began to musicalize in joy

Men on security found bowing their wishes
To inmates irrespective of acquaintance
I stood here to be me; only myself
I would forget the names I deify many times
Smokes of tears clouded my psychic ambience

Just enough to haze the memory of
Individuals who I wouldn’t control
My emotions to sharing with them
Their absence made all the difference
Well of emotion welled up to grieve for

©Basudev Paul
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