A Wish Poem by sruthi baskar

Living out of half a loaf of bread,
Twice a day,
Are these happy children.

Living in and out of half a sack,
Battling a night's sound sleep,
Are these secure children.

Eyes lit in amazement,
At the sight of half-sewn shoes.
Wonder, are they looking around,
For the rest of the shoe? !

Running errands at the orders of their masters',
Are these duty-bound children,
Wondering,
Whether their reward would be,
A year of education?

Playing with the utensils instead of blocks,
Cleaning the kitchen instead of running around,
Wonder,
Who stole their innocence?

Is this God's cruel curse?
Or is it a joke, in a scripted play?
Which would last no longer.

There has to be an end, but when?
This is their only wish,
On Prayer day!