Slow down!

Slow down, my friend!
In this world of goal-less chase
Where the goodness of the house
Weighs less than the warmth of a home,
Where the speed of your car
Can't compare to the speed of your heart-beats,
Where the thrill of a headless chat
Can't beat the pleasure of a friendly banter.
Slow down!

Slow down, brother!
In the chaos of the city life
Where the rude honking drowns your partner's voice,
Taking stroll in the clutter of the cobblestones
Where smell of soot eclipses the fragrance of the Nag Champa,
Gazing at the evening sky, in the open ground
The beauty of a star-studded blanket
is lost to smoke and dust kicked by the ruthless cars.
Slow down!!

Slow down, Buddy!
As you rush everyday to work
But to elbow out a friend, or be elbowed out of the way
Racing to get ahead among mad guzzlers
In an instant - as you surrender to adrenaline rush,
Pausing at the signal to key out a text or hit a 'like !'
For someone who barely cared to give a smile -
Or a hug, if she were around
Pause, my Buddy, pause
To turn around and see who you've left behind
Or, at what you've lost long back.

Slow down,
Take a walk, along the paddy fields
Bare feet - to feel your feet and the earth below
Tread the still soft sands by the seas,
In laze - with hand in hers and feel the warmth of touch!
Stop by the stream to watch yourself in the clear water
Cup your palms and splash the fresh water at your eyes
To wake up
Into a new morning,
And to a new life.
Slowly!

© Sashikant Mohanty