Farid's Eid Kids Poem by Padmanabhan Ananth

He let out a shriek of morning joy
When the four kids rushed in bleating
Mr. Sheik lifted the nosiest kid
And hurled laughingly at sleepy Farid

Shawwl’s still four months away, mused the father
The kids will by then fatten up
Their extended family of over twenty guests
Need to be fed at the Eid feast

The kids loved the grass and feed
Chomped, relished and fattened up
Farid found school a dreary routine
He at play with the kids all waking time

So affectionate was Farid to them
Little he realised they were full-grown goats
Each of them healthy with shining coat
Always ready to play, with a joyous bleat

On Eid's eve arrived the family ‘master’
Great culinary skills, he’s called Chef Super!
He examined the goats with satisfaction:
“Succulent meat indeed for your Eid biryani*.”

Mr. Sheikh lip-smacked at the thought of feast
But Farid shrieked in fear
The boy little knew his friends had such short lives
Hardly could he come to terms despite many an advice

Guests arrived greeting, smiling, offering festive presents
The family Imam recited verses from the Holy Qur’an:
“The Prophet’s offered to sacrifice Ishmael, his first-born,
Before Allah intervened to replace with a lamb.”

Then time for the meal, the much-awaited feast
Aroma wafting, even distracting a praying guest
Served and served again to the delight of all
But Farid, missing at the table, “Farrrreeed! ”

They found him, after quite some searching
In a dark corner sulking, crying, fasting
Come to terms he could just not
With his pets turning into festive feast!

Many rounds of convincing after
Farid agreed to just a no-meat platter
Leaving the visitors wondering
But Mr. Sheikh, a father understanding

He smilingly admired his son's resolve
“He’ll grow a strong-willed man”, he said
And declared: “no live goat for feasts at this home! ”
A kids’ lesson this father learnt from his son?
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*A rice-based dish cooked with pieces of meat and rich with spices.