Dogged Days

A country-dog has chanced to find A plantain-leaf with left-o’er food; Oh, what a stroke of luck this day! It rolls over the ground with joy And rips the packet open fast. Some bits of chicken-bones with flesh Amidst some biriyani rice – That smells quite good but could be stale, Yet tempting to the dog’s taste-buds! The food lies scattered on the ground With mud and pebbles, paper too; A hungry dog is blind to these, And eats the food in hurried way. God only knows what things have slipped Past throat, along with food it took; Its hunger-pangs abated now, The dog basks in the sun and sleeps! But death could come soon anytime; Just lucky, ’tis alive today! Think of the human beings too, Who lead a dogged-life these days – Without a proper meal a day Or clothes to wear or place to rest! The God of love who made us all Is watching how we treat brethren; We talk so big but do little To help the most unfortunate souls. No land can call itself blessed; No people can call themselves great, While famished, ravished souls exist, And people live in slums like dogs! Copyright by Dr John Celes 2-8-2009