Best Rupees Poems

The boatman jabbered, “Ten rupees for each,
For a cool ride down the Chilika Lake”,
We egged on the elders, their child within,

The wooden boat, barely a few feet long,
Holding hands, brown and sturdy we climbed on,
Through the obtuse bending, welcomed us warm,

The boatman oars, stirs still...

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On an old bicycle, he pedals the streets
finding a steady supply of following feet

"Here comes the balloonwalla", in unison they scream
clamoring for the balloon of their dreams

Each one gets one at rupees five a piece
leaving a tiny little pair of hands empty

Just when tears well...

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Thanks to Muhammad Imtiaz for allowing me to work with him to create this piece. I added a bit of fantasy to his real life experience. He was moved by seeing poverty up close in a Souk (Market) in Pakistan. His poem of the same...

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One fine morning the mirror showed
some silver strands in my black hair
though few in number but very bold
started sprouting here and there.

For me it was a disadvantage
started thinking to get rid of them
so that I could hide actual age
told my son,'Let's start a new game'.

With...

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Once glorious, but now rusting buildings, lined every dusty road.
Somehow everywhere clung the smell of cow dung.
My heavy bag, a giant rucksack,
Most of it I shipped right back.
I thought there wasn't much glitz or glamour,
And fought rough in a bit of a clamour.
Tuk-Tuk's going tut-tut,...

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A shameful act in this world we live today
surely an educated mind can clearly see the truth behind a mask
Ignorance is the hardness of heart manifests in such violence 
The horrors and inhumanity of it heartbreaking reality reeks
A mortal sin attacking the vital principle within...

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Meera counts the money.... just one hundred and fifty rupees. Still to pay to the grocer and the electric bill. The guests will come and to greet on the Diwali and Happy New year, some sweets for them.  For children , there should be...

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a grab-and-run pack
a small survival sack
with one set of clothes for spouse and self
passports, a file with just few mails
an old diary with addresses to contact
in England, Finland, and Switzerland

and some currency notes
couple of thousands
in rupees that does not stretch
like the American dollars
they were what...

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Blind-
Help me son, help me daughter, help this old beggar,
Give a coin, give some water, help this blind creature.
Help this aged, come to aid, help this downcast blind,
Draw your hands, off you pockets, mix your hands, combined.
Lacking sleep, bloody hunger! I'm pale and dying,
Ten rupees!...

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This is the second part of Rabindranath Tagore's Narrative poem - Phanki (Deception). The first part has been already posted. 




                        ...

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Under a Banyan tree



In a loud voice

she is shedding the tears of guilt

she is weeping before the crowd



The Chairman declared his verdict

That she is the convict

and has to pay fine for her guilt

against her chastity



None has taken her side:

who can deliver her justice,

to feed her...

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husband told his wife
                                         ...

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Man wants life, too easy, as sweet as honey
But for that needs money.

Money he may though have
But not sufficient for him to behave.

Not sufficient for his needs and deeds
Like uncountable rosary beads.

For his satisfaction of materialistic lust
He requires money to sweep away his hungry dust.

But...

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We are the children of time 
That big round clock 
Arms like arrows 
Not a minute to be wasted 
In this precious cycle 
Of ambition 
We succeed 
While hearts bleed
Yet we go on and on. 
Growing up isn't tough 
Mature before puberty 
Nature versus nurture...

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Cow-dung cakes getting sold in a blink, 
So it seems in India one may think. 
Duly gift-wrapped and given,
To get with someone even,
Pretty sweet revenge proves with that stink!
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Online shopping seems to have taken India by storm that would include even cow-dung cakes-- one of...

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