SUMITRA MISHRA

 

 

Moonlighting

 

I was stuck in the message

 

“Work is worship!”

 

Like a goat in the peg.

 

 

 

My father and teachers told me

 

 When I was young and impressionable,

 

I believed the credo and made it my mantra!!!

 

 

 

Now my CEO demands eighteen hours of my day

 

For he pays me well to eat healthy and stay fit!!!

 

 

 

But what about my family, my relations?

 

If there’s no time for a good sleep

 

Or for my exercise regimen,

 

No time for a stroll with my wife

 

Or no time to explore the new vistas with my kids

 

Or play cricket and football with my friends

 

How can I be happy?

 

 

 

I will be a super-hard worker, no issue

 

But what about my hobbies

 

My joys, my holiday plans?

 

 

 

I propose to do moonlighting

 

Instead of quietly quitting this job….

 

Enough of damn hard work and worshiping

 

Now I need to shut down or

 

Throw my laptop away and flee!!!!

 

 

 

But how can I do this?

 

What about my responsibilities, as a husband, a father

 

What would happen to my family without my salary?

 

 

 

So I have planned a quiet work plan

 

In place of quitting work!

 

Sitting beside my laptop

 

I will read the books I love

 

Watch the videos and movies  I adore

 

I will create new paintings

 

I will chat with friends about school life

 

I will do all these while working

 

Not quietly quitting my job

 

But quietly moonlighting,

 

For I am neither a tethered goat

 

Nor a bridled horse!!!

 

 

 

I am me, myself, a free human being

 

Though I may appear to be in chains,

 

I am free to seek my path

 

 To my happiness, my salvation!!!

 

 

 

Don’t you think I have the right

 

To moonlighting before going to the moon?

 

 

 

Hysteria

 

 

 

I know you are emotional

 

Anger, despair, fear rule your star

 

But is there a need to

 

Turn yourself into a ball of rage?

 

 

 

Emotions pendulum

 

Between love and hate, hope and despair,

 

Confidence and embarrassment

 

But can we not moderate the intensity

 

And the effects of emotions felt?

 

 

 

You know, love is not just an emotion

 

It’s the core of all our being

 

The immensity of our energy

 

In working, achieving and living

 

Comes from only love!!

 

 

 

Happiness is obtaining love

 

Sorrow from a feeling or fear of losing it

 

But anger and rage?

 

 

 

Anger is a surge of energy

 

The working of a hermone

 

We know, it’s a defence tactic

 

To retaliate for being debunked or threatened

 

But I choose the golden mean

 

To remain silent and introspect

 

Refocus from self-love to self-awareness

 

For me love brings sharing and caring

 

For your narcissism and possessiveness

 

For me love is compassion, tolerance and forgiveness

 

Understanding and accepting others as they are

 

Not as I would like them to be!!!

 

 

 

Can we not motivate ourselves

 

To channelise our love

 

To motivate, inspire and improve

 

Rather than deride, hate and demand?

 

 

 

I have learnt an immunity to

 

All destructive debunking, toxic browbeating

 

To create healthy and healing emotions

 

By staying silent or balancing

 

Even camouflaging or dissimilating

 

So have I achieved a cure for your hysteria?

 

 

 

Don’t know about you, but I’m sure

 

I have achieved the golden mean

 

 

 

By balancing on the tottering emotional bridge!!!

 

 

 

Mourning for Bou

 

 

 

Should we mourn the loss

 

Or feel soothed and celebrate

 

Praying to keep the soul in peace at last

 

After her long struggle with pain?

 

 

 

Condolences and mourning

 

Are over after the twelve days of obsequies

 

Or should it continue every day

 

With her memory haunting us in every action?

 

 

 

Asked me my child,

 

“Why are you crying Mom

 

If you say her soul is in heaven?

 

She is released from all pain?”

 

 

 

How can I explain the pain

 

In the absence of someone

 

Who was so attached to us

 

In every action, in every memory?

 

 

 

For she was always there for us

 

When alive, she spent every moment of her

 

Life taking care of our needs, physical or mental

 

Suffering all humiliation, grouse, grudge or illness!!!

 

 

 

No, she wasn’t a wizard, nor a CEO

 

Controlling our lives

 

But she was there invisibly

 

Supporting and cheering

 

Every victory of ours

 

Be it in education or career

 

In domestic life or profession!!!

 

 

 

A champion of womanhood she was

 

Celebrating our success as women, wives and mothers,

 

She genuinely believed in our merit and worth

 

For sensitive she was to our individual personalities

 

She helped us evolve in our own unique way!!!

 

 

 

We were at the core of her being

 

Her love never overwhelmed or pressured

 

Quiet and strong as a pillar, she stood behind us

 

And helped us grow like the sapling in sunshine

 

Blossom like the flower, smiling at the benign sky

 

And dancing with the breeze,

 

Kissing the bee and butterfly to scatter our pollens!!!

 

 

 

It’s time to stop mourning for her

 

To remember her with love and positivity

 

For she is at rest finally, after her battle with pain

 

Let us celebrate her memories, her love and sacrifice

 

That will be the best way to pray for her soul

 

And soothe the deep pain of losing her blessings!!!

 

SUMITRA MISHRA

 

SUMITRA MISHRA is a Retired Professor of English and a bilingual writer who writes in English and her mother tongue Odia. To her credit she has published six books of poetry titled 1. PENELOPE’S WEB, 2. FLAMES OF SILENCE 3. THE SOUL OF FIRE, 4. STILL THE STONES SING, 5.THE RED MOON, 6. ROSES AND BRUISES, 7. WHISPERING SHADOWS 8. THE EBBING TIDE and a short story titled REMENISCENCE. Dr. Mishra has also written poetry, short stories, plays, prose and translation books in her mother tongue. Her published English books are 12 in number and 35 in Odia. Her poems and stories have been published in many reputed magazines and e-zines in both Odia and English. She is editing a women's magazine in Odia titled SMRUTI SANTWONA and a magazine on Sri Jagannath cult PANCHAJANYA. She is a Rotarian and President of Rotary Club of Bhubaneswar New Horizon. She is a member of many esteemed Literary organizations like Utkal Sahitya Samaj ( since 1903) , Shantanu Acharya Foundation Trust, Sweta Sanketa Trust.  She is a life member of Odisha Lekhika Sansad.  She is an avid blogger and her blog is www.Smiling Sumitra.com, where she posts videos of her English and Odia poetry as well as short stories and chants.