Each hesitant baby step
Took him a few inches more
Towards his ultimate goal
His environment did not help
Living in an overcrowded slum
Meant many obstacles to overcome
Yet he tried to strive further
Without encouragement or help
From his good for nothing father
What really egged him on daily
Were the pathetic living conditions
They were forced to survive under
Long queues for drinking water
Sporadic electricity and noise
From the constant squabbling
The neighbours tried hard to live in
A forced and dull kind of harmony
But that was virtually impossible
The basic facilities were inadequate
To receive a fair share one needed
To be assertive and even aggressive
All these daily irritants and miseries
Led to his increasing efforts to study
And appear for every scholarship exam
Till one day an eminent journalist
Picked up his story and published it
A philanthropist was really touched
He asked to meet the young boy alone
After quizzing him quite thoroughly
He confirmed that he was a real genius
Life changed almost overnight for the boy
He gained admission to the best university
With all his boarding and tuition fees funded
He left home happy but sad at the same time
His smiling Mother's worn hands and tired eyes
Made him promise that he would be back soon
To make sure that she lived a better life
Away from the drudgery and the hardships
That plagued her daily in the dreary slum
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem