Words Of An Orphan Child Poem by BAL KRISHAN PANDITA

In winter when morning is under a cold spell
I get up from bed to sweep the hotel
With a broom in my hand
I watch the school children as they stand
Waiting for a bus to pick them up
That I want to drop my broom and join the gossip

In the afternoon, when I wash utensils
Children come for lunch, with joy my heart swells
I peep through the door and watch them eat
But end up cleaning the table when they are up on feet
During the day when I am in the kitchen
From the adjoining fields I can hear the boys play and run

In the night when I sleep under the open sky
And watch the stars and moon fly
I search for God in the clouds white
To thank Him for my shoes and kite
A mind to float and dream at night
And hands to help other children in their plight.

(from the book Walking in Flames)