MEANNESS : HINDI POEM BY PROMILA BHARDWAJ: ENGLISH VERSION BY RAJNI CHHABRA

MEANNESS

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The Creator created

A huge world,

Provided food to

Innumerable creatures

Love and affection to all

How mean is human-being

And a bit more mean is

His  narrow-mindedness

He builds a house

Or inherits it

Does not tolerate presence of

Kith and kin in it

He possesses everything

Lest anything gets dirty

With touch of 

His own people

Lest his comfort is interfered

He is not able to tolerate 

Their interference

Who are actually 

Born out of same source

Of which breed he is.

Erecting walls of selfishness

They set limits in between

Big and small houses

Without thinking even once

God has not created any wall

After construction of which

Affection is divided.

To flourish like fragrance

Who requires 

Affectionate

Fragrant huge world

Untouched by meanness

Inside and outside of hearts.