Birthday

Today is my birthday

Your presence to celebrate is not necessary

but is mandatory

as your presence will make me happy

by dancing on a pop-song album along with you all!

We don’t care

where the drought is hitting the area

where the people are breathing their last

with dry throat due to waterless

Let us wet our throat with the imported wine

and celebrate my birthday

Moreover, birthdays are not a daily routine

people keep on dying on daily basis

sometimes in riots sometimes on international borders

sometimes in tsunamis and sometimes earthquakes are the reasons

How can one die with them

“Damn it” – let us celebrate my birthday!!

What should we do?

If cute children are being kidnapped on large scale

“Leave it why should we worry?”  

their parents are enough to take care of them

Anyhow our children are safe

Why should we feel sad?

We are well aware of world matters

We know about the killings in Iraq

We know that the globe is being coloured with innocents’ blood

Bomb blasts news is not new to us

Young, old, men, women and children all are the fatal victims of the blasts

“So what... What can we do?”

Let’s pray for departed souls by standing in two minutes silence

“But the show must go on!”

Moreover, we are not concerned about all this

What can we do if the children are being pushed to an orphan life?

What if women are still barren after delivering babies?

What should we do if fathers are forced to carry dead bodies of their sons?

Who dreamt to be on the shoulders of his sons for the same!!

“Rubbish...we can’t die with them

This is none of our business!!”

If you still insist

We will donate some coins for the victims’ family

However, our hands are clean

We are not involved in these

The knife in my hand is not for any murder

It is only to cut the ‘birthday cake’

But you people wished me only

“Happy Birthday”

and not “Live Long”

Why???

~ Kanwaljit Bhullar