Monday, June 8, 2015

The veils we carry


Another day, same routine
Preset tasks, preset time
Must groom, must clean
Masters must be pleased
In lieu of cash or kind…
To survive another day, another week
Or a month at most
To earn the bread
And a roof above
To earn to groom
And continue
Daily battles with doom.

Walk into the chamber
Follow orders
Bend backwards, forwards
Lie prone, supine or sit
…Whatever the master likes
Must continue to bid
Without a sigh
Lips contorted in a permanent smile.

Day ends
Home beckons
Lonely, broken
Or back to children
Or family or clan
Either way, to mend the wounds
Eat, feed and rest again.
To reaffirm belief in life…
In hopes… in dreams of justice too
To another day, ahead we look.

Isn’t it easy to prostitute
Body or the sparkling soul?
Morality – a delusional veil
To segregate and celebrate
Your holy grail
From my daily toil.

Parvez
(Jan. 18, 2014)

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