I ought to do much more
in this unwhole world
not just keep the promise
to a landlord
or shriek at
a world of horrors
I ought to do much more
not stand and eat
a plate in hand
in a hall teeming with men and women
maybe I ought to break
much more than an empty plate
this year I
should have made it
not just gaze in the looking-glass
shaving a stubble on my chin
I ought to sing and thunder with rage
or just laugh
I ought to be going places
making the salad
with my sleeves rolled
I ought to have roughed the bully up
outbrag the braggart
dare the dandy
I ought I ought to put
my child to sleep
with a nice lullaby
I ought to perform much more
than a mere salute
gasping in the morning
and not look atforty
dazed at the ways of the world
yet it’s amazing
no one took the note
when the success
succeeded
I’ve watched it happen
aflimsyfaith everyday
vanishing bit by bit
between the jaws of a glorious people
with survivor’s guilt
of five famines
I ought to be doing much else
instead I sit in a reading room
looking for a familiar face
now and then for a hefty tome
I ought to know I know I know
when my own generation
took over the reins of the nation
yet this way the world acts
doting on rebels
shunning the revolt
(Raghuvir Sahay)
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Based on Topics: World Poems, Success Poems, Morning Poems, Education Poems, Promise Poems, Rebellion Poems, Reading PoemsBased on Keywords: hefty, famines, roughed, unwhole