Blue  Collar

You see him
With an apron, cap and a bold face
Monotonously repeating;
Four meals a day, that's what we get
Cleanliness, hygiene and affection, is what he provides
Do you 'notice' him?

Why does he rise?
He washes our late night drama,  before our stomachs begin the morning ritual of 'Oh Mamma'
He sweeps away our corridors full of litter, can we really be this bitter?
He washes, he sweeps
Everyday, every damn day!

Why does he rise?
He sits in our fort all day long, to guard us from trespassers high on Old Monk
He sits, he sits
Every day, every damn day!

You see him
With his four seater
Every day;
Breaking our inertia, is what we calculate
Performance is what he delivers
Did you 'derive' that?

Why do they rise?
They are part of our lives; without them we would be on the edge of a knife
They parcel convenience to our door, some would say they are our very own 'Hodor'
They parcel parts of themselves
Every day, every damn day!

We don't exchange the cursory glance
We don't appreciate their existence
We don't.
Every day, every damn day!
Why then, do they rise?

Thank you, Oh yes, Thank you
For those are the only words I can say, the least I ought to say
I probably can't ever make up for what you've done, but I can change, now!

I'll smile when our eyes meet
I'll ask about you when we greet
For you deserve a treat!

I'll acknowledge you, this is long time due
I'll spread the word, let there be whispers of birds
For you inspire me!

You! Yes, you. You college going, self centered being.
You're fortunate enough, entertained enough, looked after enough.
Stop cribbing, just stop.

Look around and smile.
Look around and make them smile.
That's all I'm asking of you; make that curve, spread it!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ghee Shakkar

Image
I speak to the attendant at the counter. It's not the first time I'm there. I recognize her, in her spectacles, and despite the face-covering she wears. Covid was over long ago, so I'm not sure what she's worried about. I don't bother to ask, our interaction transcends into something more pivotal. I glance through the piece of paper in front of me. I know what it says, but I'm not sure what the mood is like today. I finally decide to go for the Ghee Masala Dosa, as I've done on so many occasions before this. I ask for a Filter Coffee as well. She repeats my order, asks my name, and then, I wait.  There is a constant chatter in the place, of the people sitting, and of those waiting. The walls are just about in place, the white paint tearing down in a few spots. The tables are not spread too far apart, and the chairs even closer. I recognize a few more faces, the ones who are transporting a stack of plates from the kitchen to the promised customers. These face
Read more

D से दिल्ली

Image
I leave for the States in less than a week — to pursue my second degree, a master’s in computer science at the University of California San Diego. The first one was a bachelor’s in biochemical engineering and biotechnology, from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Sounds like quite a dramatic shift, but it’s not quite as it seems, and this blog uncovers how that happened, and so much more — about how I, a boy who had just turned 18, moved to the national capital and made it my home. I decided to start off with the pretext of me leaving to pursue another degree, and I do that for a specific reason. I can’t help but compare the stark difference between my approach and mentality right now, to what it was four years ago when I was leaving for Delhi. The last time around, I had spent the major part of two years preparing for an entrance exam, and I would be lying if I said I hadn’t enjoyed that journey. But nevertheless it was a taxing process that had left its toll on me. In t
Read more

S से San Diego

Image
"How's Mihir?", my aunt asked my mother a day before I was scheduled to fly out to the States. My mother has been a creative creature for as long as my memory serves me, and her reply only reinforced that belief  — "He seems fine, but only once he writes his blog a year and a half later, will we know for sure." I remember this exchange distinctly, and moreover I wrote it down in my diary  — something I had decided to maintain over the course of the next foreseeable future. Just a couple of days back I had written about my undergraduate experience and while the memories had made the words flow naturally, I was almost certain that I had missed out on so called smaller incidents that must have been crucial to my growth during those four years. I did not want to repeat the same mistake, and I believed that noting down incidents, and emotions in real time would aid my memories when (not if)  I did decide to pen down my blog once I completed my master's. So here
Read more