Home

What I need is a little home

Where friends and family can be at home.

A peaceful place for sound sleep

A dining space for friends indeed

For coffee rounds and small treats

On a green patch where birds can chirp

A quiet room for mother’s retreat

That is a home for us all, I dream.

Nothing more and nothing big.

For others around thus I dream

What I need is a little treat

A bath tub of two by six feet

Where words and vision can easily mix

Where I can spread my legs with leisure

For relaxing, ruminating and wondering aloud

While watching intently bubbles around

I crave to run away far on wild clouds.

Stratosphere and lithosphere

May hover around and quietly merge

With my solo journey without fear.

For a tethered man’s small dream

My little desire my wife concedes

In a house of three beds and dining hall

This little request is not very tall.

Friends insist build a beautiful house

Impressive, enjoyable to house dreams.

They measure me and size of the land

Unfolding their worldly thoughts.

How many rooms and baths

Size of dining hall and front yard?

What materials from where to find?

What materials are you using?

No, no Kota stone!

If not granite, then

Makrana Marble is a must.

No stone frames nor iron ones

As trendy values they bust or rust!

Italian marble if you can

For your master bedroom, dear friend,

They suggest with great zest

For a man to have a nice rest!

Big slabs not small crumbs

Bhilwara bricks not cheap ones

Cement Shri or JK is fine

Big units. Almost divine.

No section window, never at all.

We must have seasoned wood.

No acacia, nor sesame or sal.

Just teak from MP or Assam

Not Nigerian or Nepal.

Teak for doors and window large

Letting sun, moon and wind barge in.

They spread their vision

In my drawing room and dining hall.

Their global flights, my local frights.

Not a Gandhi house for EWS.

You have earned enough

To build a decent and durable house.

There isn’t going to be another house

In this life, they gravely say.

It is going to be one for ever

Wise friends remind me at last.

Alas!

I think for ever, what I know

And feel deep.

The house for me is never so big

With wood, glass, cement or marble.

No bath no kitchen

No dining and drawing room.

No reading room, nor sofa set

No fancy light nor air conditioners.

It is going to be minimal, raw and simple

Prime primitive and pure plan.

A two feet by five by six feet

Covered by earthen pots not by bricks

Thatched roof with straws and mud.

At most they may leave behind

A one feet long irregular stone

Scribed in charcoal with abandonment:

Here lies the 'Unknown'

Date of birth, not known

Place of birth, desert west

Died this morning

Wishing to be alone.

God, bless him! Amen.

M Hasan

Sri Ganganagar, April 9, 2000