Bombay Prayers By Daruwalla

The poet opens his heart, lays it bare In the poem Bombay Prayers From Winter Poems collection, Whatever it is in his heart As in the form of complaint and grievance, Injustice meted out to, What it the Divine Jurisprudence And what it the shortcoming of Judgement. The poet like the Job of the Old Testament here prays to in submissive form Like Kabir and Nachiketa, Like Savitri learning from Yama, But his is a modern question, A modern, man's existential search, Absurd revelling, what the purpose of creation, Why there sin and expiation? A Zoroastrian he thinks in terms of Ahirman and Ahurmazda, The Zend Avesta And the Doonger Vari With the birds of prey circling over, Reflecting in his own way, Thinking about the ways of life and the world, The Fire Hymn And its cleansing capacity. Save us Lord! Save us from ourselves! , Daruwalla prays to Keep away from temptation Tough cannot be totally, But to resist it and surrender Is the thing of concern, We as human beings Like to turn our face away From the sick and the ailing.