EXPECTATIONS

Expectations are what kill us.

In our life, they cause a ruckus.

They are like the tip of a compass

That just constantly pins inside us.

There is a cycle of expectations.

Its vicious circle continues for generations.

We all ride this cycle amidst commotions.

The riding may have different notions.

Oh! This is a long cycle, dear.

This cycle is quite unclear.

Trying to understand it, is queer.

But, I will try to express without fear.

Let's start with our birth,

When everything is joy and mirth.

We are unaware of our worth.

But, expectations are ample on earth.

Some expect a girl, while others a boy.

Unknowingly some plan to destroy

The freedom that may give the child joy.

However, life is not just a simple toy.

The teacher expects a good student.

Students expect a better teacher.

Is expecting enough to be prudent?

Well! Expecting is a common feature.

When we grow up further,

They say,"Just be a good learner.

CA, Doctor or Engineer?

Right now, it doesn't matter."

We get overwhelmed and feel free.

Maybe we don't know of the future decree

That may fall on us like a big old tree.

We develop self- expectations to forever glee.

We work day and night for achieving goals.

To fulfil our expectations, we drench our souls.

But on our way, someone else takes controls.

The goals once dreamt of turn to mere potholes.

Those who gave us fake freedom once

Now, start calling us a dunce.

Our expectations undergo a deep silence.

Their expectations gift us an inner turbulence.

Both ways there are expectations.

One side ours, another side theirs.

There are emotional variations.

But for us, both ways, there are tears.

Weeping and crying our expectations change.

For them, we try to go beyond our range.

For us, a new plan we try to arrange.

The new expectations seem quite strange.

One more fight now, we wish to conquer.

Old expectations no more remain stronger.

Upon upcoming troubles, we hardly ponder.

These expectations leave us all sombre.

Gradually, even we start loving fresh expectations.

We submerge ourselves into deep calculations.

Now, we expect a better result in our operations.

In a mad rat race, we skip our prime considerations.

Life turns to mere ranks, promotions and figures.

Day by day, a new expectation within us triggers.

Anything already achieved, now hardly matters.

We start worrying about a handful of failures.

Then one day, we find someone whom we love.

Even here, our expectations soar high above.

On rejection, we become a crestfallen dove.

Now, we expect even others to despise love.

Wait! The vicious circle doesn't end just here.

In marriages, expectations act like a spear

That can brutally and easily rip apart and tear

The healthy relationship between the pair.

We expect from parents and from friends.

We expect from the societal ways and trends.

In our offspring's life, we wish to make amends.

Again riding this stupid cycle starts making sense.

Even on the verge of death, we just expect

That matters ere doom should be made perfect.

We expect that we will get some respect.

Oh! Our expectations and the facts hardly connect.

Some father dies expecting his son to see him.

Some son dies expecting his father will know him.

Some mother dies as an expectation's victim.

Some daughter dies of expectations so grim.

Some husband dies expecting his wife to love him.

Some wife dies expecting love like a dream.

Some hopes die expecting one day to gleam.

Haha! We all enter, live and leave just expecting.

Like a deadly disease, expectations stick to us.

They are boons rarely but mostly a curse.

I don't think that I can further discuss

Because I sincerely don't expect a fuss.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------©Radhika Gupta(July19,2018)