I heard a step outside the window,
and smelt a whiff of scented tobacco
I thought at first that it was imagination
or the work of spirits or Hallucination-
I stopped to think, afraid of what I may see
It may be a fairy or the silent stealthy kitty
knocking something accidentally-
But then I slowly moved the curtain
again I heard the sound I was certain.
And then I saw him,
on some spiral stairs
a man slightly bald
thin in physique holding
the staircase railing
with fear, waiting to gather
his strength so weak
step by step holding the stick,
tightly showing a phase
of life in the age,
loneliness and infirmity,
helplessness sympathy,pity,
another step,
another clang,
another year,
another question,
would he be alive ,
the next moment
what if he falls?
why is he alone
what figure of skin n bone,
of breath and breath ,
of body of stone,
what thoughts in the cold ,
what step or steps so bold,
what the heart may hold
Or what the heart may seek?
Can one call or feel,or wait-
or walk so straight,
up the stairs or down
like the two pointed ladder
and all the apple picking,
Has he done the barrel filling?
He stepped down the last
and I stepped back,
I waited for a while
but no sound came
Why life is silently
lonely for some?
I looked around,
I too was alone-
Time ticked,
second by second.
No one was with me
and I thought
Maybe soon I too
would be,
thin physique
skin and bone
maybe, surely alone ,
maybe not, maybe?
With these thoughts
I put down the broom with
which I was cleaning the room
switched off the music
then again I saw,
a man, outside the window
looking inside,eyes unblinking
thin pale face
body clad in
a long overcoat
in silence he stood and
looked and looked...
minutes seemed frozen hours
later......
'Mom,
I guess the owner of
this old council house,
you have seen
died 60 years ago,
happy to see you clean
the room where he must
have sat
and watched
the outside scene...
Son, was it a ...spirit...a ghost...then...
He smiled
Oh Mom ! just pray no harm they mean
remember it is the time
the night of Halloween'
......
in silence I made a firm decision
I would never ever complain
about the stairs in the house again.
CER Copyright anjum wasim dar 2014
5 comments:
You have succeeded in giving me the chills with your poem here. I enjoyed it very much!!! Happy Halloween to you...
There is so much going on in this poem! I like the old man's climb and everything it means to the observer. I like the possibility that he walks these stairs only on Halloween and that he may see the lone inhabitant. But the "moral" was the best part! Never complain, never stop, never become feeble? it's a plan!
Oh, very eery. I once lived in a haunted building. I think the man WAS happy to see you cleaning up his place.
This poem gives me shivers. An excellent poem in the spirit of the season.
A very good tale.
Post a Comment