Distances

"Distances do wonders", they say.

You often witness it differently.

Here, confined in the house,

You barely see them anymore.

Every time a sneeze makes you anxious,

The fear that looms underneath it is obvious.

Every time you feel upset or lonely,

You resolve the fights very quickly.

What if there isn't a next time?

What if you can never hug tight?

Unsaid words, scary silences

Unsurity, irritation and helplessness;

Where do we stand?

What does the future hold?

So close, yet so far, situations unfold.

Distances are a curse, you realise in dismay,

When the loneliness is there to stay

And you are with them, yet you aren't.

It's like a boon and a bane,

Lasting for days.

~ Suranya

Migrant Walkers

Hunger lurks in every inch of my body,
Hunger hides in your eyes;
Yours of greed and power, 

Mine for ways to survive.
I walk miles hoping to reach home,

While you take pleasure

In jogging around parks;
I am fragile, yet I have to walk on, 

You are dieting while working from home.
Here I am, child in arm, 

Nobody was there to hear my plea.
There you are, mask and gloves, 

Complaining about the lifestyle you miss.
Here we are, class apart, you refusing wages to me; 

Aware that I work hard and make things easier, 

So that you can live the life you boast of often to society.
I die on the road, alone and helpless, 

You just post about it, shaking your head in dismay. 

The next morning, my blood stains are washed away, 

Lest your luxury car gets strained on the way.

~ Suranya

Lessons for Life

 FAR BEYOND THE WORLD OF REALITY, 

WHERE TECHNOLOGY MEETS VIRTUALITY, 

YOU SEE THEM THERE, HEAR THEIR VOICES.

BUT LOOK AROUND. 

YOU ARE STILL ALONE. 

YOU ARE STILL ON YOUR OWN WITH YOUR FEELINGS. 

AND ON THE DARKEST NIGHT 

WHEN YOU NEED A HUG 

ALL YOU HAVE IS A PILLOW AND TEARS

TO SOOTH YOU TO SLEEP.

THAT'S WHAT DISTANCES DO TO YOU. 

THAT'S WHAT A PANDEMIC DOES TO YOU. 

YOU ARE SUDDENLY SO COMFORTABLE BEING ALONE 

THAT IT SCARES YOU.

IT IS OKAY TO BE SCARED.

IT IS OKAY. 

THINGS ARE UNCERTAIN.

IF THERE IS ONE LESSON YOU LEARNT HERE, 

LIFE NEVER GOES AS PLANNED.

~ Suranya

Storm

There's a storm outside my window,

Gustling, howling, rampaging through the street.

There is another in my mind

Fighting hard, trying to survive in peace.

The gale dies down, as rain floods the lanes

Mine pours down, still remains the same.

Nobody knows what caused the sky to rebel.

Some say it is Hell's angry Devil.

Perhaps we know what the mind's unrest is about,

It is fearful of the uncertain, without a doubt.

Unlike the one outside, free and flying,

The storm stuck inside is caged and dying. 

~ Suranya

Born Free

 The dawn breaks with the cuckoo's cry 

The breeze blows away leaves long dried. 

In Your grace, the planet survives, 

In rejuvenation and newborn sprite.

The birds chirp, nestling their chicks. 

Somewhere in the silence, a puppy squeaks; 

The Earth is healing in our sight 

From everything wrong we did for might.

To Mother Nature's flowers and trees. 

Fired forests and animals forced to flee, 

To all the innocent birds and bees 

We didn't care enough to see.

No honks no smog, no human in sight, 

Empty roads and clear skies, 

See how tables turn so fast, 

All your mighty endeavours barely last.

Alone and trapped Mankind shivers, 

While You bring relief 

To all of Earth's silent givers.

~ Suranya