Cloudy Future

I went
All alone
Along the street
Among the crowd….

A distant speech
Disturbed my ears
A politician boo-booing
‘Children, future pillars of India’

People around
Clapped aloud
Confused me, mused
‘Am I the future pillar?’

I approached a palmist
Attest the future
My exposed palm
Electrified the creature.

His curious eyes
Google-searched for life-line
My scarred palm
Scared the palmist.

Peeping pain of my palms
Petrified him
Puzzled palmist, questioned,
‘Who are you?’

‘I, cracker-maker at Sivakasi
Beedi roller at Andhra Pradesh
Carpet weaver at Utter Pradesh
Rag picker at Metros
Table-boy at tea-stalls
Sex-worker at G.B Road
Different roles with one identity’
Was my answer.

Amazed palmist
Mused then
‘India at sixty
Future pillars with no dignity’

‘Future’ moves ahead
All alone
Along the street
Among the crowd……….

by j. john britto xavier

Pages of the same Book

We,

Pages of the same book
Branches of the same vine
Children of the same father

Difference,

One sleeps in air-conditioned room
Other in air-unconditioned platform

One needs dose, have a wink of sleep
Other sleeps childlike

One chooses what to have for meal
Other rummaging the waste boxes a deal

One possesses wealth, keen to save it
Other saves his soul that saves his/her soul

After all……

We,

Pages of the same Book
Branches of the same Vine
Children of the same Father

j. john britto xavier

My Children

(God and Secretary)

God: Whose children are they in "christian" schools?
Secretary: Mostly of businessmen, officers, .......
God: Is it practicality or profitablity?

Whose childern are they in the factories, dabas, field.....
'of the poor and underprivileged'
'is it personal or structural problem?'

'Whose children are they as maidservants?'
'of the poor from different regions'
'Is it cheap labour or favour?'

'Whose Children are they in Nithari (Noida) Serial Killing'
'of the socio-economic backward classes'
'Are they easy prey and less human?'

'Whose children are they in platforms, roadsides, subways......'
'they are 'street children''
'Sorry, they are MY CHILDREN'

Bro. J. JOHN BRITTO XAVIER