A Child At Play Poem by Mohabeer Beeharry

Something in the gold of the morning sunshine
Told me that there will be magic in the air
And I wandered towards the village well,
A transparent and blue sky
Lending a friendly welcome.

Near the well, thoroughly absorbed, a little girl was playing
A game of lithe movements,skipping and giggling
Now and then adding a shrill peal of laughter,
Unaware of the big world around her.

Like dry leaves in the breeze
Ideas floated into my mind, uncontrollable
Silently spinning threads of poetry,
No sound, nowords
Just a random flow.

Play on child
Play on before this world catches up with you!
Stay free, guard yourself from being the hunted one!

In that childlike innocence and exuberance,
Be it in the fields of life
In a cultured garden
Or by the busy roadside of life, play on!

Till nightfall,
Till this frail frame is gently berthed in the magic of nightly slumber,
Till across the fields of dreams your feet have sauntered like gentle snowflakes.
Your life is a dream,
Let no fear wake you up!

Oh beautiful sleep of a child!
Oh gentle, carefree sleep of a child,
Tonothing comparable!

Look not over your shoulders
Where life rages
And opiating flowers of lies, pains, greed and hatred bloom wild.

A gentle flower,
Today by loving arms, protected.
Who know who can look into the seeds of time
And say what tomorrow brings.
Love them while you may.

Today they will dry your tears
Tomorrow per chance you will nurse their broken hearts!
Let no storm possess your heart
Nor hate steal those beautiful colours of your cheeks,
Let your eyes for ever remain gentle.

Your innocence is your protection
And your protection is your dream,
Only that you do not know it is a dream,
That one day, it will burst and fill your eyes with agonizing tears

One day you will wake up
And find your games and the rules have changed,
Ruthlessly carried down the tunnel of the past,
Irretrievable!
You will wonder perhaps
And ask yourself why has everything become so callous:

Your heart will have hardened,
Your world as slippery as an eel
Your hands as lined and dry as mine.
You will then doubt your mirror,
And call it a liar!
Sadly this is the only time when a lie is the truth.

Stay a child, for ever.
Play on while the sunshine of innocence lasts,
While the butterflies are stillin love with you.
Play on while the gentle voices of your mum and dad
Still sound sweet to your ears!
And your heart is tender!