Alone I was ,Deserted the place was,
Not a sign of living being,
but filled with feelings.

It was after 20 years I came
to the place I cherished in childhood
and went out to earn a livelihood.

I don't know what has gone wrong
to the place I was born and grew,
such that the place was never the same

I walked down the path
searching for my villagers
but strange to tell could see only strangers.

The faces I 've never seen before ,
I started scanning for the face I knew,
& of course found one ,old man of eighty-two.

A state of delight and sorrow struck me at once,
Delightful to find a known face
and Sorrow to see him in distress.

He told me each and every thing,
how our lands were looted,
and those who denied were shooted.

The cruel act was enacted by the landlords,
as compensation for pending loan, they say,
but is this the way?

I couldn't ask more about my family,
as I knew they'd deny,
and I was broken down , and had a silent cry.

I left the place as fast as I could,
Not knowing what to do,
And what not to do.

I paddled alone through the grass
recollecting the thoughts of olden days,
that for sure were the golden days.





© rishika