Sweet Shelter Poem by Tushar Arora

Growing up is so much fun,
A boy who is able to run,
You know childhood comes sensuous,
I am living with an impending purpose.

In age fifteen, I am still a child,
Taller, cute, better, and mild.
The name is loving and is Dave,
I am cute, there’s no need to shave!
Determined, famished, and fanatic,
A candid boy, like a clay, and your best critic.

I am telling a tale of courage and honesty,
I was saved by an witch, she helped me out.
A past cow-girl, she is a very good, an elder lady,
Sad was her life’s story, she lives alone in a farm house,
There’s an old stable in front n’ she sits on a couch.
Far from my home, I used to sell newspapers,
Saved by God’s grace, she even loves strangers and lone tappers.

She wears on her awkward dresses,
Aroma of cakes would arise from her bakeries,
Fickle beehives hanging in her backyard grove,
So does her house appears as a Citadel,
O, white and grey as a lonely dove.

I was coy to talk to her,
And something happened which made me cheer.
She had collected all hosiery around her house,
And there were broken swings in her garden,
I noticed her induced to past, many things were not clear.

My times were bad and School is tough,
Fought all life, less money and good stuff,
Since some weeks I am on my bed,
My face is pale, foul, and eyes are red.
Doctors tell me of insidious leukemia,
Nothing severe, the pain so in head.

Weakness do not allows to play,
My mother goes to church each day,
My father knows that I am not well,
Still friends would come and ring the bell.

How the lady saved me one time?
Her eyes were red and she was sad,
When I cried, she held me kind,
Its heroism I cry mad; the pockets remain empty,
And there’s no dime!

So, while going to her front door,
To keep the newspaper on the floor,
The pain in mind had begun to covet me,
I fell puzzled, fabled and fainted,
The lady came and helped me out,
I woke up looked as if all was tainted.
She was slapping, touching me, had begun to shout.

Pipes & Bassoon felt in the air,
Morning cold and I felt shiver,
Leukemia in body aiming its lair,
Ice were jammed in the river.

When the elder lady took me inside,
I walked slowly, conformed to her,
It was a sweet shelter she gave,
She kissed on my forehead and called me brave.

I saw her house was clean so much,
Neither their were family rush,
I talked to her about her life,
She cried that she was an alone kite.

The lady gave me Coffee to drink,
I found my eyes were able to blink,
I had to leave back for home,
The weather was bad as it could storm.

The elder lady is humane,
And hides all that is lonely pain,
She lives far from my home,
Her house is large and alone,
It appears to be a hospice,
She would be hardworking and very nice,

Its long time since I met her,
Wanted to tell her about this mystery,
I know that she would cry,
When I would be a history,
When she would hear that I may die…

***