Bright Young Boys

A Bright Young Boy

Bright young boys
Take the world in stride,
Spin fine webs,
To catch butterflies.
It’s too late
When they realize
They’re awfully tangled
In the self-spun ties.

Bright young boys
Take wives of their choice
Then relinquish their rights,
And lose their voice.
Can’t even buy
Potatoes of their choice,
Leave aside
Shirts or neckties.

Bright young boys
Can’t fantasize,
Aishwarya or Mallika,
In the broad daylight.
Can’t compliment
The neighbor’s wife
For her fine virtues,
Or criticize own wife
For any of her glaring
Half a dozen vice.

Bright young boys
Sit back resigned.
There’s no green light
To hangout late night.
Neither can they invite
With their usual delight
Those buddies for a bite,
Nor are they authorized
To accept the invites
For reasons specified.

Bright young boys,
Alienated from the
Animated world outside—
The bar, the booze,
The football, the cricket,
The male bonding of
Oh-so-distant past—
Have no one to confide
The travails and traumas
Of their inner lives.

Bright young boys
Have to curtail the ties
From their yesteryears’
Kindred and cronies.
Their parents and siblings
Feel sidelined,
And watch with remorse
Their brightest gem
Dutifully aligned
With the refined family
That’s newly acquired.

Bright young boys,
The sweet, sweet apples
Of their mama’s eyes,
Who usually got served
Everything on platters,
Now, have to fix meals,
Wash their own dish,
Not to talk about
Changing nappies
And doing laundry.

Poor little energetic
Bright young boys!
Not that they live
Gloomily ever after—
They do have their share
Of mirth and laughter,
But they can’t make babies
Whenever they wish,
Thus deprived of the joy
Of having houseful of kids.

Bonus:
The brightest young boys
When ready to tie the knot,
Ask Mom and Dad
To look for a bride
Then ask her dad
For a designer wedding,
And a chunk of fortune
As dowries and gifts.

(Picture courtesy teachmecartoons.com)