How many times have I tried to understand
The unspoken language of the city
Unspoken yet not unheard
Breaking out of cracks and crevices
Glaring amidst the many we speak and comprehend
Its grip often accompanies a brisk glance,
Sneaking into the rare moments of silence
Within a noisy traffic jam,
Through the awkward conversation between
The glistening multi-storey and the slum shabby and dark
Heard sometimes fairly loud
While traversing the gems of architecture,
Mesmerising constructions and stupendous infrastructure but
Unable to veil people who raised them with bricks and mortar
Struggling along a roadside shelter
Heard in the loneliness of the crowd
And in noises within the lonely
Murmurs that follow the pacing millions
Trying to find the promises of plenty
Only to settle for what was meant to be overcome – the scarcity!
The unspoken language of the city
Discover its lexicon and grammar, if any
To emancipate it from the cryptic existence
Making its expression vocal
That the silences can seek liberation!
This poem first appeared on Shailza’s blog Thought Voyage. Read it here.
Featured image credit: Pariplab Chakraborty