A Shattered Story
Poetry in free verse
Delhi: Massive fire breaks out at Delhi slum.
Over 1000 shanties destroyed
The news reports say there were no casualties in the heart of the country,
but how would Shankar
who sells bananas on the footpath by day,
and at night is a father to his three little daughters
(while his wife goes on rounds to wash dishes in the rich master’s home)
continue living
when all that they had worked for all their life
got burnt to dust in mere moments?
“Shanties”, the news called them,
but to Shankar, his wife, and his three little daughters,
this was the extent of their world.
Over two lakh people affected by flood in Assam;
seven districts affected
Meanwhile, in a faraway corner to the east,
the largest river of the country swells and overflows,
its waters washing down hut after hut with a violent rage,
as if seeking vengeance on all humanity
for its atrocities.
Maloti and her family — who lost their all,
sit huddled in make-shift boats
as the rescue workers whisk them away
to a place that ensures
safety…
