Life In Taxes

By Nyoikhaw Pansa

Here's income tax, there's GST,

over there it's VAT.

Everywhere I turn, 

it's tax, tax, tax!

Buy clothes? There's tax

Buy utensils? There's tax

Buy food, vegetables or fruits?

Yes, there's still tax.

Recharge your phone? Tax

Two wheelers? Three wheelers? Four wheelers? Tax, tax, tax!

Step out of your city in your vehicle? Tax

Book a ticket? Tax

Buy a property? There's tax

Sell a property? There's tax too

Run a business? Tax

Earn money? Tax

Transfer money? Taxed again

Keep money in the bank?

Guess what? Still taxed

Invest money? Tax

Withdraw money? Still tax too

Win a lottery or game?

You'll be taxed before your smile could reach your ears,

even before you could taste the moment.

But when you lose money in a game,

they'd say, “Your loss, your problem.”

“Who are you?”,

Yet when you win,

the joy barely touch your eyes 

before they declare,

“Your win is my win too, what's yours is mine”?

Even before you can celebrate,

they cut their share,

half your happiness with it.

All in the name of the nation.

Even the festive seasons don't escape,

October to March,

Income tax knocks on the door 

with cheerless glee.

So, what now?

Tell me,

are we, middle-class folks,

meant to eat dry roti and daal-chawal

every Diwali, Christmas and New Year?

Every year?

By Nyoikhaw Pansa