The Voice Within

When I called in the distraught father
Of the ill-fated boy struggling for life,
And tried to make him strong with my nervous
"Don't worry, he'll be fine!"
Little did I know, what you need to help
Wasn't the deep pockets, which I didn't have
But an ear for the voice within.

When I patted the back of that distant cousin,
Who was tearing apart unable to get
A smile on his toddler,
And a family meet their ends,
I hardly knew
My reflex to stretch out a hand for his,
Even if it meant a bit longer to fix my son's broken toy,
Would be all for a stubborn, yet quiet voice within!

When I drove by the vegetable cart
That had turned turtle,
And pulled up on the side
What bid me lend a helping hand
Gather the strewn vegetables out of the puddle
Or pull out a few notes of my wallet
Wasn't the stacked up balances in bank, that I didn't
But a strong voice within,
That ticked away behind my heart!

When I walked away
From nodding in to the wrong,
Even as I had need to pay the bills,
And had the greed for the fat cheques,
The road I chose was
Not of the coffers, that I won’t leave behind,
But of the voice of conscience
That swelled up in me!

© Sashikant Mohanty