A Pious Man

A pious man had gone to Burma From where he came as a destitute, Ran a petty shop on borrowed money, Made to marry in late thirties to go bankrupt, Bore two sons and a daughter From his equally poor but virulent wife, Became invalid in money and mind, Lost his wife to his brother in celibacy, Added one more daughter from him, Lost the second son in electric shock, Wandered and laboured for food, Reaped every kind of humiliation, And then died, later to be followed By his wife, leaving the children To be grown by the remaining father, Who too died with children spreading Under different shelters to live And get married. I shed my tears thinking that pious man, Who gave me sweets when I was Twelve, who begged of me with his Eyes For money when I started earning. 04.10.2004