Metal Children

“Interior, exterior, wax and polish The whole works please” Confidently I instructed Simply charged it to my plastic A mere twenty-five dollars, not a big deal!   As I handed over my car keys Two muscular youth instantly rushed With powerful machines they sucked out each and every particle of dirt and dust. Perfectly aligned to the black track The wheels automatically rolled to move on Protected against outside elements, Inside a glass corridor I walked along Watching this prize possession of mine To witness how it was being pampered My metal child! What about the children of flesh and blood? Images of disaster in the far away land Started rolling in the real of my mind, I could see A desperate mother begging for a glass of water Let alone afford the luxury to bathe her infant   Gallons and Gallons of water gushed out from all directions Washing the exterior till it sparkled Keeping pace I continued to walk along ‘Turtle wax now being applied’ A flashing sign lit up, haunted with the war news I recalled images of shelling and carpet bombing instead! Pure white suds softly landed all over its body Big brushes automatically jutted out Moving in circles gently they massaged the sides Till the hubs of the wheels started shining too More water poured forth from all directions-the final rinse! In ‘Shock and Awe’ For a while I stood still!   Few more healthy teens with jovial smiles Rushed to grab this baby with pleasure Time to towel dry now Seeing those white towels I couldn’t help thinking    Hospitals void of bandages!      Innocent injured children with no medicines either My real kept rolling Haunting me still Those hazel eyes of a maimed teen-ager His entire family lost!   Soon they handed over my keys Like everyone else With acceleration I merged into an ever-flowing stream of steel Guzzling away what kept us going The fluid which had become a curse for some Blessing for others Into the daily mundane I too moved on As if nothing happened at all!   ………………………….   Zohra zoberi Apr 16, 2003