Mamta Kalia

ecause there is a lot of water and no boat.
I changed, because in all this while, my society changed too.
A society which I had been dreaming of changing all these days.
I changed, also because it is essential to.
But I hope you would not have any complaints
with this changed man.
Who has at least taken care to ensure
that when people meet him, they recognize him instantly.
And feel compelled to say—man you are still the same.
just the way you were ages ago,
you haven’t changed all these years.
Immortal Man
That man died.
Having walked for a thousand years in darkness,
he lay there in the middle of the street.
Probably crushed by a bus.
The sun had not risen,
nor the birds chirped yet.
A man came running
and said—this was my friend,
was going somewhere,
how did he die?
The crowd on the street
prompted a woman
to alight from a rickshaw.
She looked at the dead man
and started crying.
58 :: April-June 2010