Vagabond

The moon has hidden his face

Behind black clouds

What can he do?

There are goings-on

 that make him ashamed

not because he did them

but because those who swear by him

do them so unashamedly.

I too turn my gaze in sadness

Look at the Mars riding on

In his red battle armor

From the east to the west

Through the depressing night.

It will march on and on

Let the people of the world revel in sins

He would not turn to look behind.

There is so much of helplessness

In and around the place we live

As those who should impart justice think unjustly

Those who should abide by laws flaunt them

There are vagabonds among the stars

But they too revolve round the sun

The disobedient minds love disorder

And obey only the law of selfishness.

I too have become selfish

In one way, I walk my ways

In the way I think best for myself

I care not what the people in the world do or

What principles they hold dear, I hold my own

I will stroll by the gurgling brook

And lie on the friendly grass under

The empathizing shade of softly talking trees.

Xavier Bage

Friday, August 31,2018

Salute of the Gatekeeper

The gatekeeper doesn’t salute me

Neither does he say “Good morning, Sir”

He knows who is boss here

Not one ray of power reflects from me

He bows to persons two steps before me

And two steps after me

As they move across the gate.

He knows very well

Who sits closest to the seat of power

Who has sharp teeth within his jaws

Who can bite him and inject rabies.

Why should one fear a butterfly

It can’t cause you any pain

One should be wary of a yellow wasp!

I just smile when I pass the gate

Those who are greeted ignore the greeting

They look the other way

They don’t even care to nod their head

For they too know the gatekeeper

Doesn’t salute them out of respect

It’s his belly he’s saluting!

Xavier Bage

Tues, August 28, 2018

Silence of the Revered Leader

 

The great leader is gone

And his ashes have been scattered

Into the rivers of the motherland

His last remain have mingled

With the vastness of the sea

May his soul rest in peace!

His glories have been sung

Flower petals have been showered

On his photos and portraits everywhere

Now he’s departed with his legacy

Permitting his followers to preferred paths

May his soul rest in peace!

Good, he was silent all these years

After he lost his power and voice

Was he pained at the sufferings

His successor heaped on the people?

Did the bard in him shed quiet tears?

From silence he’s passed to the silence!

Good, he was not given a senior chair

Of the dubious honour of way guides

If he had freedom to open his mouth

He would have speared his family

May his soul rest in eternal peace

And leave us all in internal pieces!

Xavier Bage

Thursday, August 23, 2018

How We Have Transformed Lately

How we have transformed lately!

What we held to be abnormal strongly

has fast become our accepted norm!

and we take pride in being violent!

We can lynch a compatriot willingly

and assert it to be patriotism!

We can shed blood of a fellow human

And think it to be a religious act!

In our zeal to serve the nation

We mutilate the soul of the land

 to declare our love for our mother

we hesitate not to violate women.

We were held in high esteem

In the hearts of all on the planet

For Gandhi and Buddha, lamps of our ways

Now we proudly garland the vandals!

Arrogance and hatred we wear

As medals on our vigilant chests

Holy sages so godly, we cruelly compel

to push our selfish political rathas!

Haven’t we changed for the better?

Isn’t our glory sung by foreign lips?

Declare the prostrating electronic voice

Conceit and deceit we embrace in love!

When the hubris descends upon us

And our karmas lead us to retribution

Can we blame the neighbor across

With a different credo than ours?

Xavier Bage

Friday, August 03, 2018