Labels Poem by Ajmer Rode

The baby
just born into this
world has been greeted well
and well taken care of.
Already a variety of
labels have been
etched on him.
One for race.
One for color.
One for religion, and maybe
one for a caste too.
At the same time he
is told
you are born into a free world
Congratulations!

The baby smiles and
accepts everything in
good faith.

One day when he grows
into a boy and the boy
into man it will suddenly
dawn on him:
nobody knows me
but the labels.

Translated by the author