Slum Fire

Slum Fire

P K Routray

Mercury touching all time high

with it agonizing humidity to vie.

Life is awful now in this summer,

worse to those who are needy and poor.

With scarcity of water and slum accommodation

where uncontrolled fire breaks out very often.

All their thatched roof accommodations are jumbled and crowded.

Hence with one fire break out, all the houses get gutted.

Fire brigade vans and manual aids have restricted or no access

to such pathetic site even the bravest of men stands as a mere witness.

the live sight is heart rendering with men, women, children getting burnt alive

not leaving their pets birds and animals petted to supplement them to survive.

In no time the fire ball jumps from one house to another

engulfing all the houses and no belongings are left over

leaving the surviving inmates to the mercy of people and nature.

No words are capable to paint for readers such misery and torture.

From such a sight this author can only conclude that a soul has a rebirth   

to get such punishment for its committed crimes in its previous birth.

(IN India this summer is too hot and has high humidity. fires are frequent)