In Debt

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A long span of ten years have passed since I wrote this poem. This is one among the fifty-one poems I included in my book "In Harness". Now, when I revisit this, I feel there's something wistful I was trying to express through the words and by the imagery scattered all over it. I'm not sure if I would be able to explain them all word by word for the simple reason that I don't remember them, but still I relive the creative spark as I go through the poem. Successful poetry is not to be understood in the same manner by everybody: even without following its diction in toto if it is still enjoyable, it can be said to be a successful composition. That's why no poet worth his salt would like to edit his poem after lapse of time, for the meaning would change in the process and the whole thing would fall out of tune. That's how I feel revisiting my poem.

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The autumn sky welcomes

the glorious moon,

A few bright lucky stars

finally make it up to the firmament,

Many hang about and others trail behind

They all aspire to be accommodated

by new moon, if not now.

 Wearing her cherubic smile, the girl

 at the doorstep of her teens

comes to greet me the other day

at Pattayya beach,

She has her wares, ready to offer,

A tattoo of Bin Laden,

I do not offer to buy

She has already bought me then.

The scullery boy lifts

a few pieces of finger chips

And munches them all

before he cleans the soiled plates,

They were all the leftovers

of unknown patricians

meant for the slaves of circumstances.

A dream of a million

appears again for the millionth occasion,

She has always been a lovable virgin

needing plenty of delicate gestures

to consent anybody who would pine for her,

She obliges me when I solicit her

She asks me no questions

I volunteer none either.

It is a lovely feeling to be in debt,

Debt leads to a rebirth,

The salvation is shelved for a future date,

It takes hundreds rebirths to liquidate

what one owes at present.

Bhubaneswar

22-10-2003

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By

A N Nanda

Shimla

06-10-2013

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