Waiting Poem by Loke Kok yee
Waiting
Saw a picture waiting, with an image bold
With a story hidden, waiting to be told
Waiting
Blankly she stared down the cobbled street
Oblivious she sat to the stench and heat
Her son had long gone but she knows not where
Driven by poverty and deep despair
As was with the rest where a living's eked
In uncertain climes and a future bleak
Her mind wandered off and she saw her son
Playing in the fields after the harvest's done
A tear rolled down yet a smile traced her face
When a mongrel barked, it was all erased
Then raucous crows squabbled o'er a waste bin
Brought back memories of how things had been
Vaguely she recalled, how the crop had failed
When locusts came by and a drought prevailed
When her debts piled up, they knocked on her door
Heartless landlords; and all her pleas ignored
Impoverished, with naught to call her own
A widow scorned, and left to fend alone
An endless struggle was her lot each day
Then one fateful night, her son ran away
Now she sits alone, mumbling to herself
The hopes she clung to, fallen from the shelf
Lost in her own world of monsters and gnomes
Destitute and lost, the streets she would roam
People passing by with a coin to spare
Or others of her kind with food to share
So, she survived, cherishing a hope
Though with herself, she could hardly cope
Her own fate unknown, yet she's not concerned
For her son's return, her broken heart yearned
Dear Loke, this is such a moving story that it has brought tears into my eyes. The Mothers do so much for their children but what happens when they become old. They are left all alone to fend for themselves and have a miserable end. An intense and emotional write that deserves a top place.
You have given a neat introduction to the story to be unfolded gradually! It is indeed a touching story! People who are thrown into the backstreets of life are made to make a hand to mouth existence either by doing some menial jobs or by begging! Yet they keep clutching at some hopes that alone give them the incentive to live on! Your empathetic dealing of the situation and your beautiful narration add to the worth of the poem!
Thank you Valsa, this is a common sight in our part of the world, so, it didn't need much imagination to come out with the story,
A very profound verse, Loke. Life sometimes provides people with only one option....the option of waiting for better times. Perhaps, in many cases, even hope does not provide companionship. A great verse.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Delivering Poems Around The World
Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge...
4/25/2024 1:27:42 AM # 1.0.0.1119
A poignant write dear poet! Lost in her own world of monsters and gnomes/Destitute and lost, the streets she would roam.....The pathos is intensified when one looks at the aged woman in picture!
Thank you Dr, This sort of situation is not uncommon in many countries.