No to Guests

I have no inheritance

from my parents’ side,

not from my in-laws’,

not much anyway,

no straight-forward,

with many claimers.

but a life full of bills,

from house to laptop mouse,

health insurance to every appliance,

coffee to school fee,

we have to earn.

And it is not coming easy.

We all know.

To that I must do it

in an ethical path,

where some ikigai will be fulfilled

with space left for creativity.

So my time is precious.

I cannot spend it

unlikr I did a few years back

on meaningless hospitality.

So, sorry guests.

This is not my parents’ village house

with no rent

and harvests in abundance

that I can host freely.

Responsibility has soared,

but earning did not,

rather mortgage and childcare

was added to high cost of living.

I must invest time in earning,

while guard my slim saving.