Poetry : Ainsi Va la vie ( That’s life )

 Ainsi Va la vie

( That’s life )

 ( This poem is based on a true incident from my life nearly twenty-seven years ago, when I was working in the Geological Survey of India office near Indian Museum. The office functioned from two separate buildings, one of them an old British-era structure with high ceilings, long corridors, and an ancient manually operated lift. I had gone there to meet my senior colleague and PhD guide, who would always welcome me warmly with a cup of tea.That day, however, I reached just two minutes late. The lift had already been closed for the afternoon, and there were no mobile phones in those days to check whether he was available. After climbing four steep storeys—almost equal to seven floors of a modern building—I reached his office tired and breathless, only to discover that he had gone out for a meeting .At that age, such little frustrations felt quite significant. Looking back now, the incident seems almost amusing, and the poem captures both the disappointment of the moment and the quiet acceptance that came with time.)

On reaching the lift gate,

The doorman said, “You’re two minutes late.”

The lift closes at half past three,

And then begins the evening tea.

I climbed up to the fourth storey

Of the building in magnificent glory,

Reminding me of the British Empire

When they ruled the country entire.

Panting profusely,

I reached the place,

Hoping to find solace

In a hot cup of tea;

Only to find it vacant.

Without remorse, I climbed back down—

This is how I have grown.

Why events turn out so, I  don't  know why;

I smiled and thought,

“How lucky am I, anyway?”

 Pankaj Mala Bhattacharya

23 hrs 16.07.99