A young face with a smile
A face with eyes that sigh
His mother’s run away with another,
His father went looking for his mother
Out of school and out of parents,
He starves for over a fortnight.
‘Father took brother and sister, ’ he says
His pain and longing darken and hollow his eyes
He smiles. Now he serves food to strangers
A life lost, a blow of the toughest kind.
A story out of the classics,
A life more poignant than Jude’s.
A mind already beaten at 14.
A disappointed smile
On a young mind
Lost in the land of his birth
Why did I listen to his story
Why did I ask him his name
A character out of the novels
A story to be heard and told
No relatives, no friends,
All unknown. Its none but
Him alone.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
That is a wonderful piece of writing, Vivek. You drew your readers in with a great opening line, tugged at their heart strings and described details to bring the story vividly into their imagination. Why did I ask him his name? A brilliant line that evoked a personal attachment and pangs of guilt. I could picture an orphaned boy on the streets in India, hungry, dirty confused, alone and sad. Well done!