Death Of The Chairman - A long long poem I loved writing

Death Of The Chairman
A Poem By Jaykumar Shah

Part 1 - DOTC
There was an excitement, palpable in air,
A new board meeting, something to bare,
Is he planning to sell his stocks to market?,
Or is it about the new acquisition target ?
For employees here are consumers too,
And the top management they look up to,

In the WORLD’s company there is lot to prod,

And they worship with heart chairman GOD,

Today, it seems, he has a new story to share,

A new board meeting, has something to bare,

Chairman was working overtime in his room,

Everyone else waited in the big board room,

A man thin and feeble, Chairman’s close ally,

Entered the dais, came from backstage alley,

“Virtue, why do you look so shocked and sad?”

“Folks, I just found that our chairman is dead!”

“For GOD’s sake, he cannot die you are lying!”

A short pudgy man, a police, then came flying,

“Gentleman and ladies,” said the pudgy man,“

You chairman is dead, it is all going insane,

I doubt treason, a cold blooded kill it looks,

Clues we search here, in corners and nooks,

Murderer we suspect, from this group he hailed

We need to find the one whose morality failed”

______________________________________________

Part 2 - DOTC

The board, some employees and a competitor,
were all to be questioned by the interrogator,
All aghast knew not what in the WORLD to believe,
All feared worst, “Oh GOD, do they think it’s me?”

The short pudgy man had evidences few,
Guesses and trick he had to use here new,
He went to visit the scene of the big crime,
Saw, a paper, a pen and half-glass of lime,

The hands had the cuts with blood flowing,
On paper it ran, with paper clarity blowing,
In between the red, “Dear D....”read blue,
The letter, he knew, would give a big clue,
The pen was cheap and wasn’t of a rich men,
The doors and windows were unusually open,

There was a knife in GOD’s heart, stabbed plain,
Someone killed GOD, It’s an act of out-of –brain,
GOD was lying with his eyes closed and face calm,
Pudgy man felt bad, to pray he brought up his palm,
The best in the business of hearing prayers was dead,
Confused he paused and saw the wound had not bled,
Saw a few muddy footsteps of local shoe on the floor,
To and fro it ran, between GOD’s chair and open door
For questioning he knew he was now better equipped,
He checked the CCTV footage, real time it had blipped,
The fingerprints on all objects he had to analyze,
He got the list of men who met GOD since sunrise.

______________________________________________

Part 3 - DOTC
He went back to a room for interrogation,
Called one by one, everyone for a question,
He knew he had to find a good motive to kill,
In the WORLD had to measure GOD’s goodwill,

First came in a man, with a typical colorful look,
“I am religion” he started , as the hands shook,
“Not just a boss, a good friend he always had been”,
Pudgy noticed his Saffron tie and the glasses green,
He stared Religion and asked a question straight,
“Did you kill him? On his death supremacy you get!”
“Oh surely he hated me for bringing me on board,”
His reply started like a sincere but out-of-tune bard,
“People, the employees and the consumer all alike,
Followed me blindly, as I was his face and his mic,”
Pudgy got the point that rivalry they both could have had,
But religion overpowered GOD, and did not find him bad,
“Tell me Frankly Mr.Religion, will the followers miss him?”
“Not at all, they never followed him”, he said with a grin
Pudgy did not like him, he thought better to follow reason,
He checked his shoes, asked for the pen, and his liaison

______________________________________________

Part 4 - DOTC

Then came a man in his red suit and fiery red eyes,

Pudgy could hear his mind let out a few scary cries,

“How come a competitor is here, without his will?”

He brought out his ugly hands from red, “I, DEVIL” ,

His smiling teeth were brown or were it blood red,
His smell paralyzed pudgy as the questioning he led,
“you want to ask why I am where I should not be?”“
Answer is simple, I had to be here, as he called me,”
“Why? I know is what you would be your question next,
because my daughters work here, would put it to rest.”
Money, Love, gluttony and knowledge, all work here,
When they will grow unbarred, they will join me there,
I understand it wasn’t them he wanted to discuss with me,

It was some silly chap “Human”, that was supposed to be,
More I know not, but I want to assure you a thing one,
I could not have killed him, Never I will kill that person,
For he was the reason I exist, he completed me to core,
Frankly, if he is dead, I want this WORLD of his no more.”
Silent Pudgy got a chance to speak, “Sir,” with respect,
“We had got a letter from the place that we did inspect”
It said, “Dear D…. and a few words that we are yet to read,
Is it by any chance a mention for us, which to you can lead?
“Oh My GOD!”, “If it is for me, I feel sorry now for the word,
“Dear”?! He said relishing the after taste of the GOD’s word,
“Let me be straight, I will,

It is not me, who did kill,
If it were me, aloud I would have said,
As, the only one above me is now laid.”

______________________________________________

Part 5 - DOTC

Something told Pudgy that the man was sincere,
But to trust him would be the last thing to fear,
“Bring in his daughters,” asked pudgy in a thought,
The four beautiful damsels were slowly brought,

Love invoked in him desires through her skin dark,
Money sweet, made his heart, miss a beating mark,
Gluttony was fat, but he knew she had her skills,
Fourth was smart, like a dame from Boons and mills,

“Sisters!”, pudgy found it difficult to speak that word,
“Who amongst you could have idea of the killing bird?”
Innocent they looked as they made those dovey eyes,
“Not us” was their elaborate answer made concise,
“I came in today morning to meet the chairman”
Money said, “we were attended by the barman”
“As I reported, I took a cup of tea, he his usual lime,
I could not have thought that there would be crime
There was also to discuss a matter personal,
I don’t want to share, it had nothing criminal,”
Pudgy did not say a word to press the bell,
he knew what was it that she did not tell,
The letter that the GOD was writing was decoded,
And the Human in doubt was now to be recorded
“Ladies,” he said, with a softness not known,
“Thank you for the time and interest shown”

______________________________________________

Part 6 - DOTC
The simple employee, the Human, was called in blunt,
“Welcome sir, you are the last but the most important”
The man in his ragged clothes, bearded, looked so hungry,
He did all asked by GOD and his board, few things sundry,
“You have any idea about the death of the Chariman?”
“I have but I fear you would say that I killed my man!”
“No, don’t worry”, is how he assured the poor chap,
“I know you can’t kill, you loved him, it’s a mishap.”

“I had met him in the morning, after the rains stopped,
I had come here to submit my resignation but flopped,
With his head on the table I saw him on my visit short,
No cross but with a cut on his arms and stab in his heart,
I felt I am losing all the faith that I had in life,
My GOD was dead taking in a wound of knife,
“Trust me I did not kill him, How could I have,
All I have, All I ever had, all is all that he gave,”
“Why did you want to resign?” Human did not see it coming,
“That was for reasons personal,” it reminded Pudgy something,
“And I guess you would not like that to share” smiling said he,
“Yes you are right, I would not like that” was the reply to be.
“Thank you Human, for being a Man
For telling your part of the story then”
______________________________________________

Part 7 - DOTC
Now as Pudgy sat, opposite the dead body of the great,
He thought of the evidences from the people he had met,
He closed his eyes and thought of the great GOD’s morning,
He saw him get off his car, and enter the building, singing,
He thought of him making usual errands, and a special call,
Then he saw him taking up a paper and to write the pen-ball,
“Dear DEVIL,” He must have wrote, for the invitee he had got,
“This is about my man who loves your daughter,” he wrote,
He then thought of Money entering the office in time,
And as she reported, barman brought a tea and a lime,
He did not finish the lime as he talked, the cup of tea was taken,
The one who came next would have been in rage and little shaken,
What happened in between he did see clearly now,
And he went to the room to tell it to the others in row,

“Friends, it would be good if you can tell me,
If anyone was involved in killing the Big G.
If You don’t, I know the story in total,
About a love story and hate full throttle”

__________________________________________

Part 8 - DOTC

“I don’t want to be embarrassed”, said the Human coming forward,
I went there to kill him, but someone already had, in day light broad,
I was bought in by the DEVIL for my love for his eldest daughter money”,
He then turned to her to say, “I really, really, really loved you honey”

But she had a different grin on her face, For him a look full of disgust,
Pudgy looked at Human with sympathy, ‘She was not worth your trust’
“Well before you went and after the usual calls, Money was called to GOD,
Money would you like to take the tea and the lime story a little forward?"

“Yes, I know you have found it for all to see,
In his lime there was poison added by - me,
Human loved me, though I used him for joy
Look at him, he cries for me like a silly boy ”
The money thought of the good man dead,
But her blood of DEVIL’s was not that well bred,
“Beautiful, you will be shocked to know it wasn’t you
And Mr. Religion, It wasn’t the knife that You used too”

“Oh GOD! You knew I was the one to stab said him,
“Chances of anyone else doing it in rage was slim”
“In hurry you did not notice those cuts on GOD’s hands,
And also not the blood that ran on the letter bands,
you did not notice that there was poison in his glass,
Not even that without him you hardly have any class
I wish I could have arrested you for killing the GOD,
But I could not in name of duty, kill this GODless rot,
He saw his man, dear Human, you, giving him up for money,
He saw his girls, born out of DEVIL working for him act funny,
He saw the DEVIL working on GOD’s blood with his own,
He wanted to give away the WORLD, to paths he had shown,
He wanted to keep you away religion, out of the mess,
But it was you who kept hitting the already dead dress,
He could not see his WORLD, taking a moral slide,
For you all, he left the WORLD committing a suicide”

______________________________________________

"ही काय पद्धति आहे"

एक आम दिन, खुश होने, त्योहार मनाने,
खुशियाँ बाटने, कुछ झूठी मुस्कान लुटाने,
शॉपिंग की इच्छा से,
निकले अपनी बजाज पे,
श्रीमती जी भी साथ थी,
उनको गहनो की आस थी,
गाँधी रोड जाएँगे,
पैसे भी उड़ाएंगे,
कॉलेज की लड़कियो सा बैठ बोली, "चलेंगे?
"मैं समज गया इस दसेरे पे दीवाली मनाएँगे,
ट्रॅफिक खूब था पतीओ की गाड़ी से,
रिझाना चाहे सब बीवी को सारी से,
इसी कशमकश में,
अपनी श्रीमती जी के वश में,
सोचते सोचते जा रहा था रोड पे,
भूल गया में एक सिग्नल था मोड़ पे,
ट्रॅफिक पोलीस ने सिटी मारी,
कहा साइड आओ बांके बिहारी,
बोले "रोड क्या तेरे बाप की है"
में डर गया, बोला "मेरी नही आप की है"
उसको समज में आया ये परदेसी है,
बीवी बोली इंग्लीश में जैसे विदेशी है,
वो घुर्राया, चिल्लाया, उसका नया सा अब ठाट था,
"तुम्ही पाहिजे तसा चलवता पाहिजे तसा थाम्बता"
हम समज नही पाए,
"ही काय पद्धति आहे?"
"सॉरी सर, नही दिखा सिग्नल,"
श्रीमती जी शांत थी में था जैसे क्रिमिनल,
"पावती फटेगी ५०० की", बोला हो के लाल पीला,
लो भाई फिर हो गया, कंगाली में आटा गीला,
में नादान भाव तोल का कच्चा हू,
वो बोला PUC दू तो ही अच्छा हू,
"PUC तो साथ नही लाए,
बोला फिर, "ही काय पद्धति आहे"
तभी बड़ी एक कार में, छोटा सा एक राजकुमार,
सिग्नल तोड़ता पकड़ा गया, गाड़ी करली एक पार,
बिना निकले, ५०० निकाले,
बोला, " खाओ, जाने दो साले"
"देखा, ऐसे जल्दी निकल जाते है,
इतना सारा नही बतियाते है,
५० दे और चलता बन इस से,
या गाड़ी ले जाना ओफिस से,"
में बोला "पावती दो,पैसे में ५०० दूँगा"
"ठीक है गाड़ी भी में कल ही दूँगा"
में क्या कर सकता था, दबा डरा सोच रहा था,
"तुम पैसो के पुजारी, सारी शर्म छोड़ चुके हो,"
यही सोच गुस्साया, कोई चोरी की हो लक्ष्मानरेखा,
मेंने इसके बाद, श्रीमती जी की और डर के देखा,
अब वो घुर्रा रही थी, उसका नया ठाट था,
बस ले घर जाना था, में ना साहबलाट था,
घर पहुच सोचा किया आज रावण दहन,
और श्रीमती जी थी अब भी एक गुस्सा पहन
,"सॉरी" बोला धीरे से, और मन में कुछ और बात थी,
"थॅंक यू" हवलदार सब, ५०० की पावती के साथ भी,
आपने मुजको जो पावती चिपकाई,
उसने १०००० की शॉपिंग ५०० में निपटाई

I Can

I was backstage, standing straight for my dress to fit,
I was nervous, Indian before German, Swiss and Brit,
Walk when they call your country’s name, I was told,
Keep your chin up, smile, move straight slow, be bold,
The clicks and razzmatazz, would blind you for a while,
Walk the Ramp, own the world, and don’t forget smile,
I remembered all that I had gone through to be here ,
It wasn’t just a ramp, just a title, nor the money mere,
It wasn’t about the cheers and nor about nation’s pride,
It wasn’t about saving the world, no not about limo ride,
It was about what the world said I cannot, don’t dream,
It was about a walk of pride, a tear of joy, loud scream,
It was about the dreams of those girls in towns like mine,
It was for one to hit it hard and thousand more shall shine

I thought of the orange temple next to the mosque lane,
I remembered how we ran across it on seeing the plane,
I remember how the potter’s clay smelled when it rain,
Her daughters studies were curtailed for brother’s gain,
I thought of those kites and those marbles, more like us,
Each had a color and a spark, radiance of each one pious,
They always told me don’t do it, as no one there ever did,
Lack of precedence, example, killed the dreams indeed,
If I don’t do this, it would take a few more years for them,
To come out and dream, and achieve out of it, least some,
I walk out on the ramp, see I do like the world’s very best,
Don’t tell them , “It’s impossible, put your dream to rest”
See how I smile, I walk, I answer with élan, hear my voice,
It goes a thousand miles through to the place of my choice,
Let them be inspired with this crown that you want to give,
Let there be more from my little place to bloom and believe.

A Blue Dot and A Red - An Engine Driver and A Chef

What is that blue dot over leaves green?
A flower! Yesterday, that had not been,
What is that red dot over my rail-track,
Is that Blood! Yesterday it had not been
Is that the new paint that the tea stall got?
Is that a cat, river under-bridge has caught?
So many new things my way sees everyday,
I cant stop though, nothing to them I can say
I rush without a pause, to the station last,
And reaching it, it becomes my new start
My room to run train, is full of coal grime,
Am I the engine driver or the passing time.

What is that blue dot over leaves green?
An ink drop I see, why was it left unclean,
What is that red dot over the white napkin?
Lipstick of that dame, is also left unclean,
How did they like the starters, was it hot?
And the macroni, the pudding and tea pot?
I cant stop though, while the waiters serve,
I rush to make another, with same verve,
I wish I get to serve them, with food pile,
Satsfactorily fed I wish to see their smile,
Variety, colors, tastes, all on my shelf,
Am I a chef, or the beautiful nature itself.

I Bay On A Holiday - On Independece Day

May we make ourselves deserving enough for the freedom we have got.

I BAY ON A HOLIDAY
- Jaykumar Shah

I got up to the sound of Lata's sweet melody today,
"Zara aankh mein bharlo pani", it said on a holiday,

I thought my TV was loud, I saw my geyser shout,
I saw a huge electricity bill, it was time to get it out,
I stood up, took the Baggry's Muesli, have to plan,
A movie, some friends, a few drinks down with elan,

My mom says, we got to go for society's flag hoisting,
People gulping samosas with tea, hypocricy foisting,
A thought passed me, and a tv talk played back,
Inflation, Infrastructure, Ingenuity, power outblack;

I curse the government, I curse the administration,
They care for themselves alone, no common ration,
I curse as I move out to bring the tickets for the show,
See the beggars on road, see the dirty paan spit flow,

If this is the life I am going to get for my taxes and pain,
I am going to use my first chance to get back to Britain,
There the life is good, the roads are fine, scotch is nice,
And here people fight for a shelter and a bowl of rice,

I get the tickets, thank god I was on time, I glow,
Coming back, I see the slums, the dirty water flow,
The samosas and tea are over and its time for the flag,
Befor the anthem, I rush back to them throwing my bag,

As I bring my hands above my head, a rising salute,
What fills my heart with pride? anthem sings the flute,
"Jana Gana Mana Adhinayak Jaye hai" flows out,
I think what the poet then must have thought about,

O ruler of mind, O the writer of destiny, O god same,
Vindhya Himachal and from Ganga we chant your name,
We pray, he must have thought for a nation victorious,
Jai hai, Jai Hai he said, as we sing that prespostorous,

We never understood what he had to say but we sang,
I stand there, thought of it, and the thought hit me bang,
He wrote of a country whose Jay-gatha coud be sung,
He wrote of a country whose victories be in all rung,

I thought of the government I cursed and the beggar,
I saw others singing with a pride and ignorance bigger,
All walk out of this, Samosas making them fuller,
If others dont work, we would go back to our ruler,

Yes I too am singing my anthem feeling all pride,
But did I groom my self well for this poet's bride,
Did I live up to the become bharat's bhagya vidhata,
Did I stop when they fought being gujarat-maratha,
"No" Came the answer from deep with in me,
How could I curse others when true I couldnt be,
With hypocricy, with guilt, with sadness I bay,
Jay hai jay hai jay hai jay jay jay jay hai.

Beauty Is Skin Deep

Beauty is just skin deep they say. They are right. But it is our love for the fairer, the good looking that makes us keep the one who are not deprived. We have in our mind, a block against the less beautiful, less charming, less smart and less outgoing. We have a prejudice. This poem is for all of them whom I think are equally beautiful and many a times a lot more beautiful than the ones who get undue importance for their looks. Lets shed our prejudices.

Beauty Is Skin Deep

Jaykumar Shah

We were siblings, she was my sister,

Twins we were, but she was fairer,

Her eyes were blue, features sharp,

Her voice was mellow, She liked lark,

She was beautiful without a blot,

And she was all that I was not

All loved her, ugly me had dearth,

My Grandma exclaimed at our birth,

"What a beautiful child I have got!"

I knew since then,

She was beautiful and I was not.

Together we grew, we shared a life,

She was the fork, and I the knife,

Everyone kissed her, gave me a hug,

She grew smarter, I a silent bug,

In family and pals, to fame she shot,

I knew since then,

She was beatuiful and I was not.

To schools we went and colleges too,

For her, to me, the boys came to,

All of them wanted to take her out,

For me no bloke, my life was in rout,

For the dates, new clothes she bought,

I knew since then,

She was beautiful and I was not.

There was a boy, who liked us both,

Like me he liked the tomato broth,

All three of us were friends best,

I knew, he is her, and I am the rest,

I knew one day, he would ask me for her,

One day he will say, I love your sister,

The month was January and it was fourth,

I remember, to both of us, he came forth,

"Life is long, life needs a partner,

To share the joy, to share laughter",

We knew he was now making expected move,

She looked him in eye, and I in shoe,

"I would be happy and life full of glee,"

He turned to me, "will you marry me?"

I could not react, not even a smile,

To reply with zest, I waited a while,

I thought disheartened she would be,

The man she loved, I knew was he,

I looked at her, a big smile she had got,

I knew since then,

She was beautiful and I was not.

I am A Clown - A Poem

I AM A CLOWN
-Jaykumar Shah
The bells rang, the theatre is set,
The audience is here and I am dressed,
For today I am the clown sans fret,
And yesterday I was the boy supressed.

I act, leaving my self in the green room,
I close myself in a trunk and turn puppet,
Or am I a puppet when I dont clown around,
Dancing on the tunes, that the others set.

I jump from the horse, I run after dwarfs,
Falling from the sky I catch girls' scarfs,
They laugh at me, the hero takes it all,
I have to be ready tomorrow for another fall

They go, enjoying my failed clowing flight,
My rags they might not and not even my plight,
I am back in to the room, a place I dont own,
I take myself out, wearing down the clown,
I dont belong to my life, to its tune neither,
I am an actor, I am a clown, I prefer either,

I love to live my life, leaving my self away,
I love to see them smile and ridicule my way,
I love to be on stage, as that is my game ball,
Still I wish, I wish I am not the one to fall.