How Do I Celebrate?

It’s my birthday and I turn 53 today.

But how do I celebrate in this disarray?

When the sky is black with the soot of dead,

When, for the sick in hospitals, we have no bed.

When my countrymen are gasping for air,

When today someone I know is on a pyre.

When we are short of space for cremation,

From where do I seek my inspiration?

Where do we keep the ashes?

When the people I know are dying in batches.

Can I spend a day without my mask?

“Can we hug you just once,” my Covid recovering parents ask?

All I can do is kneel down in prayer,

And hope to get over with this nightmare.

Today I am in gratitude of every breath I take,

For every grain on my plate.

In the evening, for my family I will cut a cake,

But it will be with a fake smile and a burning heart ache.

Yes, today is my birthday, let me celebrate.