Be A Child Again Poem by Arun Maji

Imagine that day-
you were a little kid then,
and you tried to catch the flame of a candle;
and your mother stopped you.
But you tried again,
and your mother stopped you again.

You kept trying
until you caught the flame
and burnt your finger.

You cried loud
but you stooped crying soon.
And then
you started playing again.

You did not give up.
Did you?
Lion, you were a lion then.
You explored
each and everything of this universe.
You dared
every challenge of this universe.

Then, everything was
so beautiful, so amazing,
so astonishing, so intriguing! .
You kept smiling and smiling.
You played, you sang
you danced, you cried, you laughed.
Such a bliss,
your life was such bliss then!

But, what happens now?
You are scared., scared always.
You don't want to get up
because you don't want to face the day.
You don't want to run
because it's hot outside.
You don't want to trust friends
because you fear betrayal.
You don't want to love
because you fear heartbreak.

Your life is not- fun any more,
happy any-more, joyful any-more
You are imprisoned
in dungeon of fear.
You sob, you cry, you lament.
You ask God
O God why so much pain in life?

O man
why you suffer more
as you grow old?
Why you die
even before your death?

If beauty of dusk
makes you bright
you are not dead yet.

If fragrance of a flower
brings you smile
you are not dead yet.

If dance of a river
makes you sing
you are not dead yet.

If you can love
even after being heart-broken
you are not dead yet.

If you can trust
even after being betrayed
you are not dead yet.

Otherwise, you are dead,
you are a living corpse.

O Man, be a child again.
See the beauty in dusk again.
Smell those flowers in vase again.
Sing with that dancing river again.

Dream again, play again,
trust again, love again.
Be a child again and again.

Don't grow. Don't grow older ever
stay as a child of mother nature
for ever.
stay as a child of your dream
for ever.
stay as a child of beauty
for ever.

To grow old
is to suffer pain
and die painful death.

O man
while you can stay a child
and drink juice of life more;
then why you want to grow
and suffer more?

Be a child again O man
be a Child again.



© Arun Maji
Painting: Daniel Gerhertz