The Sparrow And The Lesson Poem by Khairul Ahsan

The Sparrow And The Lesson

Rating: 4.6


I was then a young boy of ten.
Was doing homework, before the afternoon game.
The door was closed but the window open,
When I nearly finished, came a surprise, sudden.

From nowhere came a rushing sparrow,
Entered my room through the open window.
Kept circling over my head, yet unaware,
The naughty child had some naughty desire.

I closed the window and chased her a bit,
Wasn't easy to catch, though she had no exit.
Didn't mean to harm her, so used my wit,
Knew, chasing will tire her out and she will submit.

I chased and chased her until she dropped down,
Was quick to pick her up, touch her feathers brown.
When my palm and fingers wrapped and squeezed her
Felt her heartbeats, like those of an Olympic sprinter.

Couldn't bear her agony, so I set her free,
She flew away quickly and sat on a tree.
Took some rest for her heart to calm down,
Then flew away again, merrily, just at sundown.

Thus I missed my afternoon game, chasing
An innocent little thing without realizing,
Not all things in life that you chase and win,
You can keep for yourself, nor redeem.

POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
A true story. Three decades later, I bought a canary bird for my youngest son, just three years old then, who woke up one morning and was very happy to find it. When I came back home from work in the afternoon, I found the cage open and the bird gone. When I asked my son about the bird, he simply said: It wanted to go.
Life's lesson reaffirmed.

Dhaka
20 July 2013
Copyright Reserved.
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Shila Sinha 25 July 2013

a life lesson is depicted so nicely and effortlessly. I love the poem.

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Cowboy Ron Williams 21 September 2020

Very nice poem telling of a true experience. I especially liked the story in the poet's notes. What a kind heart your little three-year-old son had to free the poor, captive bird. Well told!

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Mary Forrester 28 January 2015

A beautiful poem Khairul I enjoyed the read.

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Khairul Ahsan 21 April 2018

@Mary Forrester, Thank you dear poet, for appreciating the poem. Your appreciation has inspired me a lot. I have just read your poem-'Just One day' and left a comment there.

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Valsa George 05 March 2014

A simple poem with no great flourish of language or thought..... but the genuine feelings of a little boy is so convincingly expressed in flowing language! When my palm and fingers wrapped and squeezed her Felt her heartbeats, like those of an Olympic sprinter...... Surprisingly I too had exactly your experience once! Birds have ever been my weakness as a child! The last two lines are the real beauty Not all things in life that you chase and win, You can keep for yourself, nor redeem...........Conveys a great message too!

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Khairul Ahsan 20 April 2018

@Valsa George, Thanks for appreciating my poem so nicely! Birds have ever been my muse too. I am much inspired by your evaluation of my poem, thank you again.

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Cassandra Jasmine 27 August 2013

A beautiful poem! It really is true that you cannot keep everything nor have everything you want. I loved it. It reminds me of a friend's pet bird who would always hop towards her cage door when a person passed by.

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Khairul Ahsan 19 April 2018

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, after reading the poem, @Cassandra Jasmine! I am much obliged!

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Geetha Jayakumar 23 August 2013

Very beautiful poem...i could feel each stanza...especially small heart beats in hand. So frightened the bird would have been...loved reading it..I think I should also free my bird from cage...loved it.

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Khairul Ahsan 29 March 2018

Thank you, Geetha Jayakumar, for leaving a comment here after reading my poem. Yes, a frightened sparrow's heartbeats are palpable by hand. Much inspired by your appreciation of the poem.

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