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Are we not all Privileged and Unprivileged in Some Way?

Ritambhara looks at the emptiness and void in the lives of the rich and pits it against the have-nots, in this verse, exclusively for Different Truths.

The homeless on the roads longing for the life of a rich

Little does he know, the problems the rich are facing

Little does he know, the sleepless nights he spends

He might seem to have all the worldly comforts one thinks of

He might seem to have everything at his disposal

But little does one know only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches

Aren’t we all privileged and unprivileged in some way or the other?

 

The little boy on the streets selling balloons is pitied by the passers-by,

Little does one know the sorrows of the boy in the swanky car,

He seems to be blessed with all the comforts of life

No one tries to decode the emptiness he feels

Aren’t we all privileged and unprivileged in some way or the other?

 

That lady next door, leaving her home in a chauffeur-driven car

She has servants to do all her work

She can buy all that exists in this world

Isn’t her life the perfect one?

Ah!   This is the life we all want

Little do we know the turmoil in her life

Her plastic smile perfectly conceals her woes

But, her innocent eyes speak it all

Oh! This is not the perfect life I guess

Aren’t we all privileged and unprivileged in some way or the other?

 

That rich-old lady in her beautiful mansion seems to have led a perfect life

Little do we know, the hardships she faced

She is surrounded by caretakers

But, her eyes are looking for her children and grandchildren

She wants the company of those she loves, not the robots working for her

She wants someone to talk her heart out to

She has all the comforts, but no sleep in her eyes

Oh! This is not something she had expected in her twilight years

For her, privileged is the poor lady, who is attended by her family

Aren’t we all privileged and unprivileged in some way or the other?

 

“He” created us all equal

We all have our equal share of happiness and sorrows

Let’s not compare our life with others

What matters for us, may not matter for others

Be content with all that we have, and work hard to achieve all that we want

As we all are privileged and unprivileged in some way or the other.

©Ritambhara Kumari Upadhyay

Photos from the Internet

#Poem #PoorAndRich #HaveAndHavenots #Priviledged #Unpreviledged #Food #Verse #DifferentTruths

author avatar
Ritambhara K Upadhyay
A Panjab University, IIT- Roorkee, and IIRS-ISRO alumnus, academician, and researcher, Ritambhara is a writer by choice. Her passion for reading and writing has impelled her to foray into the world of writing. As a freelance writer and editor, she loves to pen-down whatever comes to her mind. She staunchly believes, "Truth doesn't admit any impediments."
14 Comments Text
  • I agree with you Ritambhara, people from all walks of life are struggling with their internal conflicts besides their foes of the physical world. Awesome poem to reiterate the idea of not judging a book from it’s cover.

  • Too good Bhabhi…
    People now a days misunderstand privilege with power, similarly under privilege misunderstand it as oppressed.

  • By placing opposite realities of the poor and rich, not literally but metaphorically, the poet shapes and directs us to a newer, alternative understanding of our present reality. Here the line of the privileged and underprivileged blurs. Great!

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