Civilization...

Her bare back is filled with flies,

with a mud smeared face

she gazes helplessly at the mad frenzy

 of the populace passing by.

Torn pieces of a once-called-gown

is hanging from her bent torso.

A peculiar stench all around; and

a broken bowl in front for alms

is producing occasional tinkling sound

as a coin or two are carelessly tossed into it.

The bright neon light filtering like a downpour

and the posh sky scrapers are looming large over her.

I carefully covered the space with hurried steps,

cautious that my new stiletto shouldn't be too messy;

with an irritable frown and a twitching nose,

murmuring all the while in mind,

the failure of theories of sociology and

economy, reasons and remedies of poverty

and how the politicians are incapable

to drive away these beggars;

my son’s quick glance and a hasty query

as he looked up from his expensive IPOD

‘ couldn't anything be done for them’?

A shiver went down my spine.

I rushed to put a five hundred rupee note in her bowl

hoping that my duty would be fulfilled now;

A pair of pale diseased disbelieving eyes confronted

my so called benevolence with –

“what would I have to do for you in return?

Mind you, I can’t even sell my body, now”

The high flying fluttering national flag

hoisted at the top of a high rise

to welcome the New Year,

drew my attention for a fleeting moment.

I wondered at the word ‘independence’!

The ‘independence’ that was obtained

after so many sacrifices, after so much bloodshed;

Is that piece of tricolor cloth flying proud,

called independence?

Or is it our dignity, our responsibility as well?

I stood all alone, my thoughts

seemed like a tangled knot of old dried blood

among the circus of civilization.