Dare to dream
Photo credit: Sudip Bhattacharya I jump up high, Beyond the realm, As if the sky is beneath, Twinkling are the stars, A carpet of infinite, My dainty steps are afraid, Quivering I, a step up, My feet on his hands, Leads me to a window, My dreams unravel, Flowers of gems, An ice cream mountain, Melted chocolate dripping down, My happiness knew no bounds, Another window, a palace, Butlers and maids rushing towards me, Each room is a splendour, Velvet curtains, upholstered chairs, A king size bed draped with a veil of lace, A marble topped table, Beyond that a small window; A hamlet I recognize, Huts with holes on roofs, Stuffed with plastic, A wail so familiar, My brother's cry for milk, My father's hunched frame, Shaking with bouts of cough, My mother's reddened eyes, Blank and crestfallen, Rag picker I am, Conscience reminded, The few I earn, Relief; a hapless mother feels, Tears trickle, I beg