(This is my entry for picture prompt on the IBL at Write up Cafe.) This poem won the maximum points in the total tally!
A bud I am, not yet a flower,
Let me bloom in peace until,
Bitter nectar, no fragrance yet,
Yet a timeless beauty still,
Tender body, delicate petals,
Wither and die, if you will,
Do not my desires and my hopes,
Deserve to be fulfilled?
Hands that should hold a book,
Are burdened with work today,
Eyes that were meant to dream,
Stare vacantly at the day.
My smile worn out, my face sans charm,
My plight do they not relay?
Without love and nourishment,
I see my childhood rot and decay.
Before the first fine rays of the sun,
Kiss and envelope the earth,
I drag my feet to familiar grounds,
But unsure what it will unearth,
Wondering if my existence,
Is actually of any worth?
Wonder why in a world of abundance,
Of love undiluted, there still is dearth.
To be tied in knots with a beast,
Is that my desire at this tender age?
The notebook of my life is filled,
With hollow blanks as the page.
Will my story be unwritten,
And left alone on life’s vast stage?
My deepest feelings, and desires,
Can no one really assuage?
I wish someday my hands will hold,
A pilot’s wheel or a soldier’s gun,
I wish today you will let me live,
And let me colour my life crimson,
I wish someday my eyes might dream,
And conquer every inner demon,
I wish someday I can put this down,
And spread my wings under the sun.
I wish, you fulfill all your wishes :)
ReplyDeleteI hope so too that every little girl should be able to fulfill her wishes!
Deletelast stanza so thoughtful and inspiring .. these lines I wish someday my eyes might dream,
ReplyDeleteAnd conquer every inner demon,
I wish someday I can put this down,
And spread my wings under the sun. touched the core of heart somewhere !
glad it touched a chord Ankur....thank u so much!
DeletePrincess that is so sensitive and deep... Bitter Truth of Life,of those who suffer and go through this without hope of a new day.. Is it an eternal helpless situation..temme..
ReplyDeleteu read so well!! when I saw the picture that's what came to my mind..and u understood it exactly the way i meant it to be even without the picture.
DeleteMay all these wishes come true...for me you already are a fighter ! Great poetry :)
ReplyDeleteevery little girl in her place is a fighter...we cannot even fathom what they got through. thank u so much!
Deletethis is a brilliant read...princess! intense, thought provoking... touches the heart! kudos :)
ReplyDeletethank u soooooo much Apala!
Deletevery nice princess :)... I wish someday all that you wish for comes true ♥
ReplyDeletethat first comment was incomplete by mistake pressed 'publish'
ReplyDeleteI wanted to say that you have portrayed such a huge issue in your words... I really hope that someday all the wings are unconditionally free...
yea... i hope so too, that wings of little girls are not clipped and we let them fly free...
DeleteAah! the hope!
ReplyDeleteVery beautifully written.
Thank U Brendan!
DeleteVery beautiful! Wish that all the girls could find the freedom to fly towards their dreams :)
ReplyDeleteamen!
DeleteThe confidence the bud express in the end is remarkable. Let me wish her good luck
ReplyDeletethat's all she needs..encouragement from all of us.
DeleteI loved every bit..u have described the agony of a hapless child labor so beautifully that it makes one think seriously abt the issue. lovely!
ReplyDeletei am glad u read it so well...thanks!
DeleteIts so beautiful. Such a heartfelt poem for things that happen around us all the time. As a citizen of india we can all contribute to make things better around us. I remember one of your posts where you mentioned about your neighbour telling u maid cannot sit at the same table. Its such people we need to fight against...
ReplyDeleteRicha
thanks Richa... that was exactly what was playing on my mind....
Deletethat was beautiful and it tugged my heart.
ReplyDeleteyou have written it really well
thank u so very much!
DeleteTitli,you have expressed the pain of womankind in India .. the true picture of the pain they go through for reasons none .. even they have the rights to dream to live a life as per their choice..
ReplyDeleteloved every bit of the poetry !! very touching !
thank u....one one hand we revere them as durga, lakshmi and saraswati and on the other hand, we do this....double standards, na?
DeleteHow do you people write poems? I can never understand it! And I must applaud your creativity... first you write a 3-part story for this picture prompt, and then you churn out these rhyming words. Remarkable.
ReplyDeleteChild labor is perhaps the curse inflicted upon a society that breeds like rats, with no planning for their off-springs.
UBC Day 20 - "When I Blushed"
:) we had to write one poem and one story for the same prompt, so that's how this came into being, i am glad u liked them!
Deleteeveryone talks about child labour without even noticing that in ur own backyard maybe there's one happening right away.
Very well written...enjoyed reading the post! :)
ReplyDeleteThank U T!
Delete