Best Canteen Poems
Across by the window, reading her magazine
There she sat.
Eating her breakfast in the works canteen,
Drinking latte
Coffee, eating toast and marmalade, her mind
Deep in thought
So it seemed to me. Yes, you would often find
Her there if sought.
Her hair fair and long, her lips rouge and pert,
Wearing a short skirt
And so many men teased by her smile, hurt
By this sensual flirt,
Because such beauty was rare, not often seen
In the works canteen.
And with every other lass she stole the scene
This irresistible colleen.
Then he entered and her eyes lit as she sipped
Her latte coffee
And gently fondled her cup topped with whipped
Cream as he
Sat down opposite her and smiled. Her emerald
Eyes and seductive pose
Enticed him so, for he had heard tales of old told
Of this lipstick rose.
But like most men in the canteen he couldn't resist
This young colleen
So he too surrendered to her beauty and this tryst
In the works canteen.
And across by the window, reading her magazine
There she sat,
Eating lunch in the works canteen.
Drinking latte
Coffee, eating pasta and rice, her mind
Deep in thought
So it seemed to me. Yes, you would often find
Her there if sought.
In the crazy canteen,
people threw plates
and let off steam...
The real canteen was somewhere else.
That one was an oasis of calm,
and people ate from plates quietly.
It was a place to talk to the boss
and hint at maybe, rises.
But in the crazy canteen
the bosses did not go...
It was just for workers evidently,
throwing knives and forks.
5/19/2015
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Featured poem of the week
8/7/2022
Convoys of flashy cars
Matrimonial coteries perched on car windows
Convey cosy impressions in imaginary bars
Belying divorce shadows
That stalk and haunt new marriages
Where cooking sticks, frying pans fly
As divorce spectres havoc in carriages
Speak and sing a lie
Marriages tell and fail
As happiness through windows evaporates
To spell and impale
Marriages at frenetic rates
Scaring delights and daylights
In homes haunted
In mornings, afternoons and at nights
Taken for granted and taunted
Seventeen thousand divorces
In twenty seventeen
Evil forces from frightening sources
Marriages under siege in a cadaverous canteen
Prompting minds to boggle
Wondering if matrimonial culture sutured
Too many marriages in hedonism gamble, giggle, sniggle and google
In scary scenarios captured and raptured
Time to rethink
Pose questions
Think! Wintry wine glasses don't clink the right link
Marriage institution in need of systemic overhaul actions with surgical sections.
"I shall cut off your right digits!"
And the fine red-haired girl fidgets!
Not in early teens, now Eighteen:
Should with success run a canteen...
But Joyce before speaker just trembles,
Every fresh slipped threat Shock resembles;
No thoughts of a leg being simply pulled,
To flee not from the scene herself fooled;
For all her friends still holding tea cups,
No counting of the present grown-ups,
The scratched fears on their lit-up faces
A comic one with all its traces...
Already a Joyce tasting torture:
Her just slashed fingers she could picture...
Soon, pleas to her friends to save the life
Of one who would soonest be a wife:
"From the Enemy, please, snatch death's knife!"
SOMETHING IS MISSING
We spend some of our unforgettable days in our college,
With lots of fun and an ample of knowledge,
Where we have a small temple named canteen,
Which is a point for our credits and bargain.
Then one day a demon comes in the face of corona virus,
Which brutally infects our lungs and stops our pulse,
To prevent it further our gov. orders for lockdown,
Which sadly seizes our freedom just like a clown.
"We are safe in our homes but something is missing,
Shouting at the warden as the light goes off is missing,
Getting ready for class in just 5 min is missing,
Sharing a single pastry among six friends is missing".
We are safe in our homes but something is missing,
Unreasonably gossiping with friends in a circle is missing,
Giving a tight hug to a frustrated friend is missing,
Putting down the MCB’s of other’s rooms is missing.
We are safe in our homes but something is missing,
Thinking your roommate as your whole family is missing,
Taking the selfies in class and posting them is missing,
Hiding other’s only notebook and sitting quietly is missing.
Oh god please remove this corona virus as soon as possible,
We know your powers are phenomenal and invincible,
Withdraw every pain and every hurdle,
And give us a new gift of life just like an angel,
Give us a new gift of life just like an angel………
Just a few days in, college felt new,
Chilling in the canteen with my unusual crew.
I saw a guy feeding pups with care,
And told my friend, “Yaar, ese bhi log hote hai.. it's rare!”
He was just another face,
A guy with a gentle grace.
We laughed it off and moved on from the scene,
Not knowing what that moment would mean.
No scolding, no drama, just quiet grace,
Feeding stray dogs in a busy place.
Though he’s a student, just being kind,
But fate had a plot twist well designed
Then came class, and what a twist,
That same guy walked in with an attendance list!
We stared in shock, couldn't believe our eyes,
That “canteen guy” was a sir in disguise.
Later lectures went on, respect only grew,
He was chill, smart, and funny too.
Concepts got clearer, doubts disappeared,
He taught from the heart and nothing was feared.
But as days passed, we came to see,
How chill and wise a teacher can be.
His lessons were fun, his humor just right,
He made dull topics feel so light.
With every class, the bond got strong,
His support stayed constant all along.
Through ups and downs, he stood by my side,
A mentor, a guide, and a source of pride.
Not every teacher leaves such a mark,
Lighting a student’s path when it’s dark.
Lucky I am, that our paths did meet,
With a teacher so kind, humble, and sweet.