Fate of a poem

[AbuHossam]

A twelve year old boy -

was writing a piece of poetry.

Hiding inside in his bathroom,

away from the glare of his parents and his relatives,

he was writing about the feeling of love

The feeling of love he felt-

towards one of his classmates..

He wrote about the stars,the moon,

the wind and how the sublime beauty-

of nature is related-

to the beauty of that friend!

After he finished the poem he folded-

the piece of paper and hid that-

inside one of his books.

Next day he gave the poem-

to his friend whom he loved

When we watch from a distance,

from her angry reaction,

we can understand she did not

approve his action..,

The boy was crest fallen.

In front of his eyes,

his world has been broken-

He thought he had done a great crime

It is again night time..

the girl opens her note book-

and takes out that paper

There that poem smiles at her innocently

It is a poem of pure love

With uncontrollable thirst..

she reads through that poem

after reading she crushes that paper-

inside her fist and throws it out through the window

Her eyes are filled with tears.

She cries bitterly, she is uncontrollable

Tears wash through her painful soul

Unfortunately she is born into a world-

where love is considered a taboo,

or a sign of weakness..

Out in the open a vegetable vendor-

picks up that piece of paper

He reads through those lines

Lines that speak of nature and love

After reading the poem..

he gives a wry ,sarcastic smile and

throws away that paper

He continues his walk,

pushing the empty vegetable cart-

through the darkening night-

and stops near a hooch shop

as his terrified family awaits in his home,

waiting for that drama of violence-

which unfolds everyday on his arrival back- home!

But today,

he looks at the moon, then those smiling stars,

the cool breeze blowing and

of the loved ones waiting in his home

once when love existed in his life

how happy he was he thought about those lines-

in the poem and continued pushing his empty cart past the-

hooch shop today he decided he will reach home-

not as a drunkard ,but as father and a husband!

The piece of paper carrying the poem-

was blown by the wind and it reached

the feet of a middle aged man

He was out on the roads ,on a Saturday evening,

after a nasty brawl with his working wife

Saturday evenings are always the time-

when both of them lets off their pent up- feelings -

and frustrations at work

For him his world has ended

And the city stares at him as one whole-

dark, emptiness

As he stands there watching the stenchy- drainage-

flowing through the gutters…

the crushed piece of paper is blown towards his feet,

He picks up the paper and reads the poem

The starry eyes, the dimpled cheeks,

The brightening smile

The first touch of love

Through those lines, the innocence of nature

and of that cute little girl and the-

expressions of pure love smiles at him

He rushes home and shows the poem-

to his angry wife..she reads and tears it off

But a few moments later..

The emotions flying out through those blissful lines..

as starry little Angels casts a spell on her

she reaches her husband,smiles and tells

“let us forgive and forget”

as they are locked in an inseparable embrace..

The dump founded husband’s eyes searches for that paper

The paper which bore..

the torn pieces of that poem!

All copyrights reserved Ashok Nair.