By Arvind Khadse
Broken leg,
Grimly look,
Peeling makeup,
Luster aloof.
Dull appearance,
With dirt and grime,
Left alone, neglected,
But that's no crime.
Treasured piece,
Antique and old,
I have lost my glory,
Not worth if sold.
Worn and faded,
Can't make it right,
I have lived my life,
Won't shine new bright.
Sitting in one corner,
With abrasions and scars,
I too was once a showpiece,
Bringing fortune and stars,
Times have gone.
And my owner is dead,
Now even my kids feel,
I am at mercy for bread,
Forgotten, are days.
When they were vulnerable and small,
I too could have walked away,
Leaving in rain to crawl,
But I am their mother.
And they are my flesh,
You don't cut your lungs,
In search of air fresh,
Yet I'll live on,
With little hope and despair.
Hearing their curses,
Like old cracking chair,
Mea culpa it was,
We too were too busy,
To provide you with comfort,
Making your life too easy.
We forgot to teach you,
Morals and empathy,
That even old furniture needs,
Some respect and sympathy.
Hope, one day you'll learn,
When this chair will be gone,
It burnt into ashes,
But still kept you warm.
Congratulations to the winners. However feel a bit disappointed that all the three top winners poems are related to mother land , freedom of voice and expression. If I had known that the criteria was the same. I too had few poems related to those topics. But so be it. My poem old furniture is a paragraph of four lines, kindly correct the same or it will not rhyme properly. Thank you.