My WAlking Stick

My Walking Stick

P K Routray

Just before the dawn,

with calm, unpolluted environ

health conscious people walk and run

in mass, group, pairs or alone

a scene found in cities and towns often

where with the rays of the sun

comes maddening crowd’s materialistic run

creating hustle, bustle and frown and fun

displaying the materials’ vulgar competition.

Lay hidden beneath, the plants, shrubs rocks weary and worn

at places with dogs, monkeys reptiles there as their companion

in alien atmosphere of fear and humiliation.

Only at the dark dawn they venture to catch attention.

Morning walkers only see them in freedom of action.

I beg apology for such a lengthy avoidable prelusive narration.

Needless they may appear for my walking stick’s introduction

As it is my promise to the stick in today’s morning conversation

Where I promise to signify its importance as my daily companion

as we both love each other immaterial of genetic differentiation.

Gifted to me as their parting gift by my colleagues on my superannuation

for my morning walk companion till I can physically move on

Then onward the walking stick in the morning I always hold on.

while walking or running miles up gradient for perspiration

to strengthen my wrist and arm besides protection.

Every morning, since then it is my proud possession

excelling over many sticks held by many in the morning session.

It is a peace loving non living pet faithful to hold on

unlike living pets propelling their masters in wrong direction.

Never it attracted wrath of forest dogs or monkeys in the fashion

as the living pets for their masters attract them to frown upon

Love I my my walking stick but it bing lifeless I do not expect its reciprocation

but it reminds me of my walk and accompanies to give me strength excepting nothing in return.

(N.B- At Bhubaneswar where I stay there is a hull with trees monkeys reptiles and dogs. We walk up in the dark morning for our prespirstion and oxygen.But one the traffic moves the place loses its charm as alaround it is the maddening crowd. Today I promised to express my thankful emotion atlest to its rotating electrons.)