Here’s a social commentary in verse by Mamta. 

An undying tree
On the banks of rivers three
Two polluted, one mythical
A C'ezanne brown medieval fort
Mysterious shadows
etched under its arches and columns
Silently observes the timeless scene
With ransacked traces of history
The learned seers
Surrounded by esoteric rituals and tantra
Unimpressed by the alchemy
Of globalisation and quick-fix moksha
Look askance at the techno-savvy generation
A solitary boat glides in slow motion
Surrounded by the debris
Of petals, crushed mineral bottled water, gutka and other flotsam
Sages presage the future
Moving seamlessly
From births, career, marriage to death
Offering spiritual salve
To devotees dyed in faith
With deep rooted reverence
The choking city
Caught in a time warp
Under neon lights
Anticipates a blessed afterlife.

Image designed by Anumita Roy and Different Truths

Mamta Joshi

Mamta Joshi did her post graduation in History from University of Allahabad. She writes short stories, reflective essays, prose pieces on everyday life in national dailies and international e-magazines. She writes with equal ease in Hindi. For over two decades, as a teacher of English in college section at SMC, Allahabad, she has been interacting with young minds, understanding their pulse and in turn being savvy on technology, fitness, fashion, humour and rumour too.

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