Quiet They Went Away

-K Radhakumar
        (1)
The baby cries.
The young mother flies along
And takes it to her breast.
O dear, what makes my baby cry?
O dear, is my baby crying for its mother?
Mother’s so long in the kitchen.

Papa mama
It’s the baby talk.
It has stopped crying now
And smiles a small smile.
All of a sudden
The baby smiles its ma-ma.
What a wonderful world!
Life is wonderful.
Life is simply wonderful.
The young mother is in seventh heaven.
She walks with poetry before her.
She walks with poetry around her.
In beauty it’s finished.
        (2)
He wakes up with a terrible hangover.
‘To hell with late-night parties,’
He thinks,
‘I’m giving up drinking.’
He tries to quench his raging thirst
With a long, long drink of cold water.
Executive body meeting at 9 in the morning –
I’ve to sleep it off.
The dark night cries out in its sleep.
He’ll feel better
After a good night’s sleep, I pray.
        (3)
From the lawn of the old age home
He sees a bird flying all alone.
It is late in the evening
And no flock of birds is seen
Flying across the winter sky.
Has it been left behind?
Is it trying to catch up with its family?
Does it know the destination?
The old man sits in thoughtful silence
And he knows he has left
The prime of life behind.
The night draws in
And he has a welcoming smile for it.