As the evening meets the dark
mysteries of night turn deeper
bats and owls turn up their antennae
so do the vices of the world
the drunkard and the beggar don different roles
they turn kings with their bottle of hooch
their dose of hooch erases the boundary between them
young rag pickers slip into worlds unknown
with a tube of whitener
broken corex bottles tell another story
the painted butterfly lingers around
waiting for its prey
the prey creeps sheepishly
the deal is struck and sealed
I shudder to think of vices more vile
as I lie ensconced in the warmth of my home
the hearth made warmer by the love of my kin
Almighty my state is your dole
Ratnaprabha r raykar
