Shibaprasad Deb writes

idiom

He a recent entry

to the seniors jam,

not all that tech savvy

yet surely had his way 

about social medium.

Signed up all and sundry

Facebook and Instagram,

Twitter, Tiktok, without a why

Whatsapp, Telegram all day,

life a never ending dream.

Joined groups and individually,

mindsets quite similar some

and at a variance lot many,

few from a good old school day

others of sober, restricted idiom.

All was hunky dory

forwarding posts at random

Until the other fateful day

an unhindered post of a school buddy,

found itself in the sedate forum!

Shibaprasad Deb writes

Seesaw

Corona n. Crown like,

Luminous halo, aureole,

Builder’s cornice, a cape,

even a much guzzled ale,

never a threat, nor a viral 

save a Roman villain in Asterix.

Come December, of nineteen, 

Corona’s not positive any more,

outbreaks and oriental lockdowns 

shake us like never before

soon sweeps global swathes

brings the mighty to their knees.

Crises and pandemics

miseries every few decades

depression and downturn 

we overcame virulence, plagues,

Unleashing our artillery

of biotech and the fisc.

Not any longer, 

this time it’s an either or

caught between life and livelihood

twixt two ends of a seesaw 

balanced not by weight alone

tugged by multiple variables.
-- Didier Conrad

Shibaprasad Deb writes

Honorifics 

What shall I call him

Boris? Johnson?

Mr Prime Minister?

Reasoned nurse Luis Pitarma

assigned to her PM.

Honorifics Honourable, Respected PM

Never crossed her mind.

Nor did she have to.

"Boris", he said 

to her "What shall I call you?"

Viewing the daily pressers 

Trump, Merkel, Trudeau and more

On screens tiny, medium and large

Mr President, Chancellor, 

Are as far as they go

staffers or the press

Responses given,

Terse, dramatic or sober

to questions on failures,

delving, probing, no matter.

All territories nearer home

The crown long shaken off 

Equality, liberty proclaimed

Yet honorifics still reign

Respected, Honourable somebodies

preside unquestioned, at all gatherings

squatting on higher backed seats

Even references to the new lords

Unfailingly prefixed by titles

Enlightened feudal we remain

 

 

Shibaprasad Deb writes

An Old Child

 

Small thrills for an old child
Peeking out early morning 
For the newspaper boy’s clang
Disturbing the gate’s slumber
Thwack! lands paper on verandah
Ah! awesome sweet pungency
Of fresh print on paper,
But first the pullouts and fliers
Dennis still thrills, Peanuts, B.C
Hagar and Wizard, Archie and Bailey
New antics and wisdom
Crossword, sudoku and Jumble
Cogs, matters grey rumble
Feels like yesterday once again.

The sun has climbed an angle
The news sections, oft repeated spiels
Nature’s fury amid a losing battle
Lost onomastics and amphiscians
Stories of the challengers and heroes
Villainous and those slain
Gore at home, rage on road
Chicanery at workplace,
Strident religion, unequal commerce,
Skulduggery, offence and defence,rms and the man, no end
The small print slowly a blur
Ever too soon bifocal upgrades
Feels like it’s tomorrow too soon.