Vendors of Life

His cart of full,
Shiny oranges, greens and yellows
Fruits and vegetables
The emptiness in eyes unseen

By the multitudes flocking to stock
Up on life’s necessities;
Mask in place, keeping monkeys at bay
The wife, her nose-ring sparkled in the sun ; toddlers grovelling in dust

Their face spoke nothing
He was garrulous;nimble fingers doling and calculating
The risks at Azadpur and Okhla Mandis
Screened everywhere; protected nowhere

But no smokescreen for their happiness
The flies buzzed; as the jackfruit oozed
A langur scampered off with bananas
His stolidity belied any resignation

Life giver of nature’s offerings
What has life given you?
No complaints, no cursings
Smoothly the heroics go unnoticed
Unaccounted in any headlines…