Authored By: Shail Raghuvanshi

A drought here, a cyclone there,

earthquakes scattered elsewhere -

all Mother Nature’s indignation in action,

the ozone hole a danger signal for us hapless souls

yet, we live our lives unaffected

stretching our mounds of habitation

till they burst at the seams.

The West turns towards the East

(it’s fashionable you know for foreign hands

to dip their fingers in spice and curry!)

the East surges blindly towards the West

(it’s chic you know to fly in fleets of fashion and software!)

why do cultures look everywhere else except within themselves?

destruction for gain that’s all we humans seem capable of.

A pity really

to perceive pure and perfect creation getting usurped

by unchurned concepts and unashamed sale of souls.

Authored by Saurabh Ganguly:

I was a child, when I first cried for food; 
crawled to dustbins, the best I could.
I was beaten as I desired to be in school; 
for society, I remain an uneducated fool.

I collected polythene bags from garbage, 
with a smile in face, with many folks at my age.
I don’t know whom to say, whom to blame, 
when I sold toys, when my age was to play with them.

From garage to tea stall in your neighbour, 
See how we child change with labour.
Ever thirsty lips can just taste the sweat, 
I am the poor child and that’s my fate.

Why this uncouth life has chosen me, 
I beg for love, I beg for food but I am still hungry.
No one likes me nobody comes near; 
I am the God’s neglected child with eyes full of tear.

I will soon be social evil as a grown up child, 
negligence and hunger has made me wild.
Life without fun and nursery rhyme, 
Soon, I will grow with the taste of Crime.

Authored By Anitha Rajesh:

Darkness and dullness creeping and sprawling in,

With dearth of Sun and shine, that vanishes to beam afresh

Fear and frantic, chaos and clutter, spreads this dusk

Panic and stress, distress and dumps sweeps and swells

Dragons and serpents out from the hide, stroll and prowl

Vampires and leech hustle in relish, sucking and sapping,

Reign and triumph as sages and scientists dazing ‘n sleeping

And, snuggling as bugs in a rug and straying in their dreams

Dreams that splashes the hues and vibes of bash and spree

Fun and frolic   running so high, that filling and spilling

Through malls and marts, with bottle and blonde

Merry and cheer, tide is so high that sweeps the whims

Facts are not fancy that stares so fierce and pierce in deep

Raise many questions ‘n sought many answers that kill the sleep

Dreams or slumber pester with nothing, but minister ease

Pricks and pokes on qualms and ethics, yield no comfort

Welcomed or not, sought or not, bright and light won’t wait

Sun ‘ll rise and dawn ‘ll reach all nooks, corner, creeks ‘n cracks

Light and lore shines so bright and beyond the clout ‘n control

Will shake the Brain ‘n wake them up from the castle in air

Once they leave the slumber and wakes to vigil and guard,

Wisdom will blossom and brilliance will blaze and shield the nation

Darkness will cede and clutter will concede, ‘n evil will hide again

Hopes will breeze and peace will prevail with His grace ‘n bless !!!

Authored By Abhishek Mishra:

With the chains my wings are bound

Far above,above the grounds.

I am tortured by the noisy sounds

From next door these barking hounds

Play the music, play the music

Each night I feel so sick

To listen to these blaring songs

Which speak no good but lots of wrong

But in the cobwebs of city life

I choose to live not the knife

For I have kids, and a lovely wife

For whom my mind and hands strive

All i have is a hand to work

And a busy brain with no spark

All is a monotonous routine

And no fun is in the scene

When i travel the whole world

And sit at home feeling knarled

Perhaps it is my daughter’s kiss

That fills the space of all i miss

Of all the moments a dad has lost

All at a men’s cost

And under a layer of dust

Lies buried a husband’s love and lust

Does the world ever think of us

Think of a men’s loss

And of its unspoken cause

That so simply women’s tears does

Sometimes i move to places

Where each word ceases

And there i shout with all my will

Perhaps that is how my wounded heart chills

And this is my latest wound

From next door these party sounds

And a crazy father thinks looking at ground

Would my kids be like the next door hounds