QUEST

Donkeys bray,

Wolves howl,

Lambs bleat,

Dogs bark,

Hyenas snarl

Trapped accidentally

On the periphery of

A wild pulsating with

Myriad merry voices,

A group of humans,

Willing to remain humans,

Are trying haplessly

To find back their

Language of communication

(© DEEPAK DARSHAK) 

SCARECROW FOR SALE

Scarecrow! Scarecrow! 
Kids’ fearful aversion, 
Adolescents’ laughing stock, 
Trots the globe, turning into 
A masterpiece of native genius, 
Reaping appreciation
With a high price tag
At every trade show!

© DEEPAK DARSHAK

FRATERNAL POLES (On reading Arthur Miller’s DEATH OF A SALESMAN: Observation I)

'The jungle is dark,

But

It is full of diamonds…'

Windy Willy was

Trapped in a dream,

When the temptation of

A foray was already

A part of

The Big (brainy) Ben’s

Secret success scheme

CAMEOS

A bunch of

Forgettable cameos

In an interlude

Sit among the audience

Waiting for their turn

To reach the proscenium

From their past experiences,

They know

The thespians of

The etherized puppetry 

Will start

Reiterating themselves,

Obsolete guffaws will

Drag on reverberating through

Identical masks,

And the curtain will

Refuse to fall

At some point

They have been asked

To wait till then,

Because

Everybody knows

They alone can give   

A comical relief

That will be

Required so much to

Keep the show going

And avert

A disappointing finale’

(© DEEPAK DARSHAK)  

WILLY LOMAN (On reading Arthur Miller’s DEATH OF A SALESMAN: Observation II)

Life

Made of him

A punching bag,

A laughing stock,

A dead wood,
A peevish Nimrod
Saddled with
Jejune grievances

When
Willy the salesman
Started his journey,
He knew
That life had no place
For someone who wanted to
Live without a present,
But he went on,
Perhaps
In search of a death
That would justify
His stand and
Make a hero
Out of him
© DEEPAK DARSHAK