The world today 2021 June

Wave after wave the virus hit home,

On the empty streets, schools, offices and parks, doubt and fear roam.

People are at home, under lockdown and all alone,

But always hooked on to insta, netflix or whatsapp on the phone.

Economy in the family is just not the same,

For some savings increase as incomes remain.

For some, there is no way to earn,

lockdown implies, starvation, crash and burn.

Cities gasped in April and May, as hospitals ran out of oxygen,

towns and villages followed, there was no place which could avoid the contagion.

Politicians blamed and shamed each other for the onslaught,

Pyres burned silently as people hurt caregivers and fought.

People began to get vaccinated though,

when the virus will be stopped no one knows,

Unrest in the world continues to grow,

economic hardship, polarized media adds to the woe.

 

Will crypto make it big?

Will OTT shows take over the movie and TV gig?

Will natural calamities increase exponentially?

How safe can anyone really be?

 

People are sequestered and alone,

mental health deteriorates as people mourn.

but there is hope as always,

if science and good governance embrace.

 

the new normal continues to change,

the world is now online and offline, all different and strange.

Freedom takes a new meaning now.

freedom to step out, freedom to object, freedom to differently love.

New Customs might replace the old,

Or the ancient ones might surface again, after all, old is gold.

The stage is set for 5G, AI, ML and big tech to boom,

AI even tries to find you a bride or a groom.

Reality aims to be virtual or augmented too,

kids can switch on computes faster than wearing a shoe.

People continue to age,

they rant anonymously online, filled with outrage.

but with their near and dear they do not much engage.

All are trapped in a growing fad,

of being outspoken, opinionated, socially blissful but actually sad.

Will China take over the world tomorrow?

Will the environment suffer with irreversible pollution and sorrow?

Can we eat popcorn in a movie hall, happy and care free again?

Are global populations on a wane?

Will we colonize space or will we in earth remain?

So many questions remain,

the world is different but people are the same.

Lets choose love, happiness, sustainability and hope.

Lets get through this crazy, earthly covid kaleidoscope .

Rufus the Dog

 Rufus the dog loved to play,

He wanted to play every second of every minute of every day.

Whenever he saw a ball, he chased it around,

Whenever he saw a piano or a loud drum, he tried to make a loud sound.

When he sat on the sofa he always tried to tear the cotton out,

When he saw real toys, he would play and play, there simply was no doubt.

When Rufus was given food to eat, he would play with that too,

He was always on a lookout to play with something new.

Naughty doggy Rufus liked to play a lot,

he never worries even if he gets caught.

When he saw other dogs he will prance around and fight, 

With him around the house was messy and the cushions were never set right.

Rufus the dog loved to play,

He played the entire winter away.

When summer came, that was fun too.

He only did the one thing he knew.

Shine the Cat

 Once there was a cat called Shine,

she always liked a good rythme.

Tell her one and she will purr all the time.

When Shine heard 'twinkle twinkle little star',

her purr was so loud it was heard from afar.

When she heard 'Incy Wincy spider',

her purr almost scared Ben the dog out of his fur.

Shine loved 'little bo-beep has lost her sheep',

the sound she made startled the neighbors out of their sleep.

And when she heard 'Humpty Dumpty',

her purr caused the birds in the garden to flee. 

She waited and scratched and meowed for a rythme,

and once she heard it, she wanted it again, just one more time!

Strength

 Waking up to a gray new dawn,

with all hopes of happiness and rest long gone,

The body aches without any duress,

it prefers endless sleep, the mind does confess.

 

The are mouths to feed, the mind continues to say,

your children need a mother, some food and study, the heart makes the mind and the body obey.

She goes masked and tired to make a meal,

she picks the milk and the veggies from the shop, hating the feel.

Of curious eyes boring into hers,

wondering if today they are hiding tears.

Tears for loved ones snatched away suddenly.

 How relentless the day can be.

She forces a smile on her face,

as her children jump into her loving embrace.

I can do this, she thinks.

Living on a prayer and the day goes in a blink.

Do you need support, some kind relatives ask,

No, I can manage she says, her face behind the mask.

Time flows and this too shall pass by,

one day she will be free to frown and ponder and laugh and cry.

Until then, office, cooking, cleaning and homework await,

keeping away thoughts of life, pain, destiny and fate.

She thinks - I will live my life holding my head high,

I will rally on until the day I die.

But that wont happen anytime soon,

that's a promise I make every-time I see the sun and the moon.

I have important things I know I should do,

This house, this city, this state, this country depends on me to renew myself anew.

 

And so it goes in the country as of today,

Seems like the deadly virus  is here to stay.

Like her we must find a way,

to keep the grayness away.

Only discipline and hope can save the day.