Sultry, sunny, sweating all day,
Working hard with his axe and crowbar,
Every now and then wiping of the sweat from his fore head,
From dawn to dusk he works for a hand to mouth existence,
Watery food and pickle his staple diet,
For the eight hours work that he does.
Salty, risky, working all day,
He rows into the sea everyday,
Not knowing if he would return to see his mate,
Sweats all day in the sea to get a meager catch,
His work timing may extend from dusk to dusk,
But his earning would never increase until death.
Stinky, abhorring, detesting job all day,
He cleans everyman’s excretion from drains,
Dopes to forget the job being done,
Stays in drains from morn till eve,
Eats where no man would ever sit near,
Yet his earning is meager than a common man.
Chill, furnished, enjoyable working conditions,
He sits all day staring a monitor,
Having a good ceiling above his head,
Scorching heat far away sipping dozens of coffees,
Munching high calorie junk food though in a hurry,
Always unhappy even with a heavy purse.
Golden, sparkling, loveable work place,
He hardly works, for his ancestors have already worked,
Sits all day counting money and hoarding it too,
Eats the most expensive and tastiest food available,
For he has gold and platinum at his disposal,
Beautiful bed and a wife but sleep far away.
Enjoyable, fun-filed, admirable work for all,
He works in a fanciful rosy world,
Life of luxury, all pleasures granted to him,
Food from star hotels and company of best women,
Acting before everyone by profession,
Gold and silver filled in his house and hands.
What contrasting lives?
This is our world …
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Thank you :)
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oh my.. u have the world there!!
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Good poem that reveals a heart with sensitivity to social problems.
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Thank you so much for your wonderful comment. I am honored.
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Dear Leenabose,
I read your poem more avidly as it resembled "The Village Black -Smith" by H.W.Longfellow. The difference being the various avocations you have embellished compared to his single one. The other contrasting fact I found the sublime satisfaction of his accomplishment vis-a- vis the rumination of despondence.The poem ends like this: Toiling Rejoicing sorrowing,
Onward through life, he goes,
Each morning sees some work begun,
Each evening sees it close,
Something attempted,something done,
Has earned A night repose.
I greatly appreciat your effort.
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Well written. Very true that we can enjoy and afford some luxury because many people toil hard. Your poem clearly reveals the daily lives of different starta of society. Something ought to be done so that these toiling people get better living conditions. People placed up the ladder also have different problems, but of course earning a living for daily existence is not a problem.
And may I say (in lighter vein of course), many people are working hard to maintain this website, where we can exchange such views sitting in an airconditioned room. I would like to thank them too.
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yes leena this is our world ......a slum near a posh locality ..........a hut behind a palatial house ......proximity yes but co-existence still a dream........
namita
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Thought provoking.Both these classes of people end up being unhappy,the richest man,he wants more and more ,runs after pleasures which elude him .His purse may be heavy but his heart is empty,there is a void in his life which no earthly riches can fill.The por man is miserable,when more than being hugry himself,he sees his children go with out food.Yes,it is a sad world,but we can help in our own little way to help the needy and feel good about it ourselves so that there is no emptiness in our hearts.Thats all.Again the way I have put there is also a selfish motive ,no?
Mythili
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