Blending with the backdrop, they toil
at the crack of sun,
pruning trees, fencing plants for a landscape
their appearances all look homogenous
unknown, they stare at faces in flashy cars
homogeneity, forgotten the second the car cruises away
Plants recognise them, flowers look for their presence each day
plants fortunate to be quenched with recyclable water
the deprived gardeners sipping from bottles roasted.
The caring branches bestowing miniscule shade
stare helplessly at food turning stale under the
canopy of sun
the gardeners hungrily devouring the rice and dal
sweat trickling from rugged palms
A sporadic laugh with other bodies in green
a camouflaged relief from temperatures inching
to half century.
Families back home sporting various colours, a picture
tucked in each green core, pushing them to board buses
and mend gardens outside stranger's houses and offices.
One does not need suntan lotion, the other cannot manage one.
One green caring for its variant,
one green blooms, grows and bears flowers
and commands appreciation,
the substitute toils till the pick-up bus stops and
drives the undetectable, worn-out greens back to quarters.
