THE NEW AUTUMN

THE NEW AUTUMN


where is your laughter?
I used to hear it
in the crackle
of the rosy cheeked leaves of the autumn chinars
in the babbling of the mercurial brooks
and in the birds in my garden ....

Now i hear words ,
meaningless and plain
on and on
spoken from heartless tongues
and from bewildering thoughts..... in newspapers ...

There are apples ,still,  in your orchards
and paddy still in your paddy lands
but no children come to steal the lonely apples
and no birds merrily
loot the paddy .....

Women do not venture out to sing
of thankfulness for the harvest,
as if afraid ,
and the men who couldnt protect them ,
the men seem slow ....

Autumn is here
despondently , and with dragging footsteps
as if it would like to be else where ..........