LIFE IS A DESERT
T. VASUDEVA REDDY
I
stood in the desert
A
deserted man
Amid
a world of kith and kin
All wary, chary and worldlywise.
The
dear are becoming dearer
The
nearer much averse to come near
The
deadly ulcer of penury
Makes
a progressive record
In consuming my fleshy body.
How
long shall I resist the jealousy
Envy and ennui of the society?
Leeches
have sucked my blood
Asses
kick me with hind-legs.
I
have no cheek to face the asps
I
am a lone man in the barren desert
Mule
mocks at my sore feet
Dissembling
mirage tantalizes me
A thirsty man with a parched tongue.
Life
is an endless desert
Full of sands and sounds; No oasis.