Two Sides Of Life Poem by SREEJITH KULAPARAMBIL

On a rainy night
When I was utterly dismayed with life
Walking through the dark drenched street,
I saw an innocent child
Selling mulberries sitting under a tree
He was shivering in the cold breeze
Yet offering his mulberries to all passers-by
Yelling out loud with a sigh
His eyes were wet in tears,
And face never shown cheers
I stood there for a while,
Drops of rain were still dripping incessantly
I asked him gently,
"How much the mulberries will cost me? "
He said with an eager and trembling voice
"Sir, just ten rupees,
And you can fetch the whole mulberries"
I bought them all,
And gave him a note of hundred rupees,
He replied,
"Sir, I don't have the change with me,
My house is near-by,
Come along my way,
I will get you the balance from where I stay"
He took me to his house
Through a murky constricted path
Where street lights were feeble
Yet no dearth for the waters pouring out of rain
Suddenly the child disappeared to somewhere
I could see him nowhere
For a while, in deep thoughts, I stood there
Suddenly he came out from a hovel
Offering me the balance with his tiny hands
His joy was ecstatic
For the first time he sold all his mulberries
A fainting voice yearned for him
It was his ailing mother, bedridden
She extended her arms for him
He ran in and hugged her,
Gave the earnings, with his eyes gleaming
Then he turned to me and told his mother,
Ma! , he is the man who bought all our mulberries.
Her eyes were wet and tears rolled over the cheek,
with both her hands she revered me
Yet her lips did not utter a single word to me,
He said she is blind and dumb
Words vanished and I remained mum,
My fallacies about life shattered
On witnessing their agony, my ego was battered
That night, I wished, I had a hoard
Left the balance and I searched for the road
My heart was weeping for those poor souls,
Yet I realized, Joy and sorrow are part of the whole
Every mortal shares this on earth
They are destined for this from their birth.
Most of them feel pity for their state
Yet few are there who are content with their fate.

sreejith