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Then & Now

I sit atop the hilltop
Bathing in the dim moonlight, and see
The once-vast stretches of forests, now chopped down,
By man, to sustain the crowded country

I walk around the streets
Alone amidst the crowd, and see
The once-lively faces of people, now distorted,
By their busy lives, to broody

I stroll around in the park
Taking in the ignored greenery, and see
The once-playful and naughty kids, now at home,
Captured by technology, engrossed in their PSP

I stand on the terrace of a skyscraper
Breathing in the polluted air, and see
The once-united society, now divided into two,
Some dying of hunger, and some drowning in money

I hasten down the shady street
Hiding myself in the open, and see
The once-safe late night strolls, now rushed,
Due to spread of criminal minds, lacking humanity

I lie down on my comfortable bed
Looking at the world through the window, and see
How it keeps moving on, be it day or night,
Ever changing, both it and we.


-         - Shrutika Jha

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