Author: Shelja Alawadhi

  • The Child Diva

    The Child Diva

    On a cold, winter morning

    A frosty wind was blowing,

    As the sun hid behind a cloud.

    On the road gathered a crowd.

    “What’s going on” my mother wondered.

    I had heard of the latest,

    So I replied, “The boy who lived

    By the wayside was dead.”

    He was slowly dying of hunger and cold.

    He barely survived on the money

    Earned from the cheap toys that sold.

    Once when I was going down the street,

    I heard him pleading and begging them all

    “Please Sir, please Madam, buy a doll.”

    They all ignored him and hurried on.

    I walked over to him, bent down.

    And bought a doll from his small collection.

    Not that I needed it, but it was worthwhile

    To see that child’s gloomy face, break into the smile.

    He had no home any place by a fire,

    No one to fulfill his heart’s desire,

    which was just to have a family.

    That he could call his very own

    Where love would be showered on him.

    By each and everyone.

    He wished for a friend, who

    would be there today, tomorrow

    And always by his side.

    In times of joy and in times of sorrow

    He longed to live in a house

    Not large, but comfortable

    Where he would sit with his family

    As he ate his delicious food.

    But his dreams yet dreams.

    While we were all sitting by our fires, warm,

    He was shivering and trembling out in the storm.

    Fate had destined that night to be his last,

    His energy was failing fast,

    And by morning it was all over.

    A crowd gathered around his body, dead.

    But he was all alone when he was alive.

    When he cried for help.

    No one heeded his call,

    Or came to his aid.

    Now that it was all over,

    They all gathered pitifully around

    Saying, “Poor child! He had no one.”

  • Mystery at Durga Puja

    Mystery at Durga Puja

    It was Bengal’s favorite day, Saptami.

    Rishabh began by reading the headlines for the day first.

    “Durga Puja begins. Great Rejoicing.” What is this?

    “Valuable ruby is stolen. Police hot on the trail.”

    Whereabouts suspected to be Safdarjung Enclave.

    “But that is where we live. Maybe I could solve the mystery. But then again the idea is far-fetched. There could be a million people thinking along my lines. Forget it, let me enjoy the Puja’.

    The family got into the car and went gallivanting around Delhi, looking for Pujas, Rishabh noticed how bright the idols were. There was Durga of course, Lakshmi the goddess of wealth, Saraswati the goddess of knowledge, Kartika the general of the gods, and Ganesha the god of success. On the way back, the family stopped at the Durga Puja in Safdarjung. It was the same bright ceremony-food, dances, drums, etc. As usual, there were priests near the idols receiving donations. But strangely, one particular priest was more interested in Saraswati’s idol than in his job of receiving donations. Saraswati’s idol looked brighter than the others from a distance.

    Rishabh did not bother with these thoughts and enjoyed the Pula thoroughly. Meanwhile, he also noticed that the weird priest was constantly talking to two strange fellows. They looked like hoodlums. Anyway, Rishabh enjoyed himself quite a lot throughout Saptami, Asthami Navami, and Dashami. The day after Dashami, he went with his parents to the pandal near his house to see the immersion the idols.

    One by one, he saw Kartika idol and Lakshmi idol and Durga’s idol being immersed. Saraswati’s idol was left. By chance, he happened to glance inside the pandal and saw that the weird priest talking to the two hoodlums also seemed to be worried. They were continuously pointing to Saraswati’s idol Rishabh felt that the priest should also have gone to help immerse the idols. But he did not Rishabh put two and two together and dashed off to the policemen standing by the pandal who had been watching over the pandal throughout in search of the ruby.

    Rishabh told them in hushed tones. “Those men standing by the pandal are the thieves and the ruby is hidden somewhere on Saraswati’s idol.

    The police immediately went to the three men and placed under arrest. When they tried to resist, Rishabh shouted, “Immerse Saraswati’s idol.” Rishabh asked them, “Why did you struggle?” they kept silent. Rishabh declared,”The three men are the thieves the ruby will be found in the jewellery on Saraswati’s idol. The three men have no other objection to the idol being immersed.”

    He then asked the police to search the idol. Eventually, the ruby was found. Rishabh was thanked by the police and applauded by the crowd.

    When later asked said exactly aroused his suspicions, he pointed to the over the brightness of Saraswati’s idol.

    A few days later, he received a parcel from the Government. Guess what it contained, An idol of Saraswati with his name on it!

  • Judged

    Judged

    She was judged.

    Everyone stared.

    She was judged,

    But no one cared.

    She was different,

    In every way.

    Every opinion was:

    She could not stay.

    They teased and laughed

    She’d sigh and cry.

    But what no one knew;

    She wished she could die.

    Then the day finally came;

    When her wish was fulfilled.

    But she knew her blood had been spilled.

    She was gone.

    No one cared.

    She was young;

    Why was not her life spared?

  • The Time 

    The Time 

    Time is an enormous enigma

    the more I think about it

    the more I’m confused

    because:

    it is already past

    before it was present

    and it will be future what I said

    After becoming a moment present

    As can see

    It isn’t easy to explain

    because time has no border or frontier

    and it flies through the world

    as a gull over the sea.

  • How Lucky am I

    How Lucky am I

    How lucky am I to be born today

    where certainly I can peacefully stay

    Today I can live life with merry cheers

    I can possess a mind without any fears

    In a world where I can study and play

    And behave boy in every way

    being a girl I definitely say

    How lucky am I to be born today

    where certainly I can peacefully stay

    Today I do not have to sit in the house

    And walk and talk like a caged mouse

    I have the right to education in which

    My future dreams which make me gay

    so being a girl definitely say

    How lucky am I to be born today

    where certainly I can peacefully stay.

  • Someone in the world

    Someone in the world

    It’s nice to be loved by someone who,

    after having hated you have understood

    it was useless hate.

    It’s like being happy after crying

    To be sad laughing.

    It’s wonderful to know that in the World

    there is someone or something

    who lives only for you

    who lives only for your smiles.

  • The Sky

    The Sky

    I was sitting in a rocking-chair in my room

    and I looked outside through the window.

    The leaves slowly were falling

    leaning gently on the ground.

    The rain was beating strongly on the window

    but suddenly a cloud disappeared

    and that sad world arrived the sun

    Which swept the sadness away

    and the boredom

    and it made the cheerfulness to prevail

    and the fantasy.

    My cat jumped on the legs

    and he started to bite my hand.

    I stood up and lay down on my bed,

    I closed my eyes

    and I feel asleep

    while my cat was still biting

    gently,

    my fingers.

  • Father’s Day Special

    Father’s Day Special

    Daddy, please listen, I’m talking to you,

    For things you’ve been doing and still do,

    After all the midnight drinks.

    After not yelling at me for the glass clinks,

    After all the times you helped me with homework,

    After all the times I acted like a jerk.

    After all the times you dried my tears,

    After all the times you got rid of my fears.

    After all the piggy-back rides you gave me,

    You have brought me to see,

    After all the times you helped when my goose

    as cooked and broiled,

    Gee! I sure am spoiled.

  • A Dream At Night

    A Dream At Night

     Sleeping at night,

    Gives me extreme delight.

    I know I will dream a fabulous dream,

    I’m waiting to see the beautiful sight.

    Rainbows, the blue sky,

    Rabbits and butterflies.

    The wind humming softly,

    As it goes by

    Ice creams and chocolates.

    Swinging on the trees,

    Waiting for you to grab them,

    They look as pretty as colorful leaves.

    Girls dressed up in velvet gowns,

    Waiting to go to a dance.

    Handsome young men hold out hands to them.

    And begin to jump up and prance.

    Delicious cookies and tea,

    Laid out on a white-laced mat,

    Ladies taking sips from their cups,

    Looking beautiful, in their attractive dresses.

    Blue rivers and streams,

    Running and passing the buds,

    All the buds are coiled together,

    As if they are sleeping in soft rugs.

    There are apples and grapes,

    And other fruit too,

    Nature has such wonderful gifts for us,

    Great deeds for it, we hardly do.

    Harmony on earth is being maintained everywhere,

    Greenery is shining all round me,

    Everyone can also sense confidently

    An atmosphere with a sense of purity,

    Everyone is as free as a bird in the sky,

    No feeling of painful memories or any danger,

    No feeling of kind of problems,

    Neither minor, nor major.

    No crime or robbery,

    No traitors or people we do not trust,

    No feelings of discrimination or caste difference,

    Everyone is living peaceful, on the earth’s crust.

    Animals wandering with their dear ones freely,

    Cats with their kitten, dogs with their pup.

    Suddenly I felt a cold touch of lips on my cheek,

    “Honey dear, its time to wake up!”

  • How I wish

    How I wish

    How I wish can still smell

    the fragrance of the flowers and trees,

    How I wish still watch

    the birds flying in the clear skies.

    How I wish can still see

    fishes swimming in clean and clear water,

    how I wish can still see

    green meadows where animals and kids roam around.

    But how can wishes come true when our people are destroying all this

    Soon nothing will be left,

    But remnants

    only of wrong doings.