Children of a lesser God
I
She sat there
alone, lonely and in great despair
She called for friends but no one came
They mocked her, mimicked her gait
when she wasn't around.
They made fun of her speed,
they made fun of her shoes,
they made fun of her dress,
they made fun of her woes
They moved ahead while leaving her
to walk alone, away and aloof
"we are in hurry" everyone said
but they stood near the park
and spent hours chit chatting,
As they saw her coming, they rushed ahead giggling,
they ran without any explanation.
She soaked in her tears
told herself to not cry
She was handicap by body
but the physically fit failed her
II
He couldn't hear or talk
but always endorsing smiles
ready to help
love unconditionally
he couldn't work like others
but was way smart to deal things
he wanted to be loved
in exchange of love he spring.
some shown pity by offering petty money
"I am not beggar just cause I have a handicap"
I sell what money cannot buy,
I have something above just ability, he said.
they paid no heed
in their ignorance they marched ahead
he soaked his silence world with his hopes
people who could hear couldn't listen him
people who could talk, had no words for him
III
Born this way
Shabnam could never understand why
God created her differently
so different that she would yearn
to be just normal born, normal bred.
No one gave him a job,
no one wanted to be in her company
they sniffed and made faces at him
she was him or he was she
no one helped her query.
she blessed all the newly born
blessed that they never be like her
She soaked her tears to her heart
Stored there till the blood pumped
and when she was dead,
She sat there
alone, lonely and in great despair
She called for friends but no one came
They mocked her, mimicked her gait
when she wasn't around.
They made fun of her speed,
they made fun of her shoes,
they made fun of her dress,
they made fun of her woes
They moved ahead while leaving her
to walk alone, away and aloof
"we are in hurry" everyone said
but they stood near the park
and spent hours chit chatting,
As they saw her coming, they rushed ahead giggling,
they ran without any explanation.
She soaked in her tears
told herself to not cry
She was handicap by body
but the physically fit failed her
II
He couldn't hear or talk
but always endorsing smiles
ready to help
love unconditionally
he couldn't work like others
but was way smart to deal things
he wanted to be loved
in exchange of love he spring.
some shown pity by offering petty money
"I am not beggar just cause I have a handicap"
I sell what money cannot buy,
I have something above just ability, he said.
they paid no heed
in their ignorance they marched ahead
he soaked his silence world with his hopes
people who could hear couldn't listen him
people who could talk, had no words for him
III
Born this way
Shabnam could never understand why
God created her differently
so different that she would yearn
to be just normal born, normal bred.
No one gave him a job,
no one wanted to be in her company
they sniffed and made faces at him
she was him or he was she
no one helped her query.
she blessed all the newly born
blessed that they never be like her
She soaked her tears to her heart
Stored there till the blood pumped
and when she was dead,
they beat her with broom, slippers and sticks
"don't ever reborn as these again, Shabnam
Do not ever born as eunuch again".
Disability/ deformity is a low to our society. It is seen as big curse. All hell hath lose when someone is born or gets suffered with it. Find no love, find no support, find no acceptance until you find someone as unfortunate you are- we scream and tell these to them time and again, reminding them what they do not have instead of what they do have. We are so obsessed by beauty, the external beauty that we fail to see the person within. Someone told me when God shuts a door, he opens many others. I always hoped that God should not shut the big, quintessential to door to open trivial many. They say when God takes away a thing, he replenishes by many greater qualities. People who want to genuinely care and love and assist such people, becomes obvious stock of mockery, snide and jeers.
" Complained I, cause I have no shoes. Untill I saw a man with no legs"
People used them as alibi,
people used them as bait.
People forget that sooner or later,
anyone can have similar fate.
SoakNoMore in penalizing deformities.
Soak in resurrecting them.
SoakNoMore in prejudices.
Life is a beautiful gift of god!
SoakNoMore in aggrieving people
people who could not understand
people who cannot accept you,
Pity that they do not know the life.
Pity that they have bigger handicaps!
people used them as bait.
People forget that sooner or later,
anyone can have similar fate.
SoakNoMore in penalizing deformities.
Soak in resurrecting them.
SoakNoMore in prejudices.
Life is a beautiful gift of god!
SoakNoMore in aggrieving people
people who could not understand
people who cannot accept you,
Pity that they do not know the life.
Pity that they have bigger handicaps!
***
This post is my general observation, written finish to fast within 15 minutes and hold no personal views/ bias against a person/ community whatsoever. Just a humble request to treat deformity with more sensitivity, whether external or internally.
Super. Almost brought tears in my eyes. Handicap people do not want our sympathy. They want to be treated with respect and dignity. We all should realize at any given moment we could become a handicap person too. Help them as much as we can. As a starter, please don’t steal their parking space.
ReplyDeleteThanks SG...The parking space is one of the very apt example. It reminded me about one such allocated space in a mall at salt lake, Kolkata which was often occupied by people remotely facing any physical challenges, causing inconvenience to the people who actually needed it (incl old aged junta. We called those people " voluntary mentally distorted".
DeleteSo much one day the commercial mall that it deemed to be, removed the space and allocated it for one of the car retail for marketing & display. End of any small gestures as such!
Handicap people actually do not need sympathy but empathy and that too on rare occasions only.
And after a long time, I find a really meaningful post on the blogosphere. Wonderful.....If I may ask you Ekta, what made you come up with this?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Sushmit.
DeleteI began to write as a sensible post for Indiblogger- surf- soak no more contest...but as I wrote first line, my direction changed and withing 10-15mins whatever came to my mind, thru my experience and observations, I wrote. NO edit, no changes...Except one or two. I am so surprise at myself :)
Well, I guess that is why you are numero uno :) :)
DeleteAwww...Sushmit, you r tooo sweeet :)
DeleteMay God bless you and you pass out your CAT with flying colors and get your desirable college and company!!! :)
That, still remains a pipe dream. But thank you all the same :)
Deletegood read...
ReplyDeleteThanks Muthu!
Deletethat was a good read -great job ekta
ReplyDeleteThanks for liking it Vinisha!
Deleteawesome one Ekta
ReplyDeleteThanks Shilpi.
DeleteWhat are you? One post absolute hilarious and other sooo sensitive n sensible. Wonderful! You rock...
ReplyDeleteLoved the post...its super sensitive.
Thanks Anonymous for your kind comments and support. I am glad that you liked both of my posts.
DeleteWould love it more if I can know your name :)
Hilarious....Hats off..Simple words entwined to give poignant writing..
ReplyDeleteHey Ashish,
DeleteThanks for dropping in. I could not understand what was "Hilarious" for you in this post? Pl help me highlight as I supposed to make it a serious post.
Extremely sorry to use this word..I wanted to write 'hurtful' but somehow ended up writing hilarious..apologies..
DeleteIts ok...as I left wondering if I slipped up in any lines or what..No sweat :)
DeleteI love it, its so inspiring. Thanks for this. i really love it promise.
ReplyDeletethe family Int.
Thanks Tinita,
DeleteI have also visited your page. Quite heart touching and spirited. Take care.
This is almost an epic-& a sure winner.
ReplyDeleteYou wrote it in 15 mts!!!!!!faster than light.
Thanks Indu :)
DeleteYes, I amazed myself by writing this post. Some time expressions are so simple and enriching that they do not need much fabrications :)
Your poems glide frictionless... one almost falls in love with them.
ReplyDeleteLoved the way you used soak-no-more without the customary spaces... goes well with the thought the poem is moving ahead with.
Arvind Passey
www.passey.info
:) So much thanks!
DeleteHeader picture is from Kingdom Of Drams?
ReplyDeleteNice poem btw.
Thanks JJ
DeleteLoved the way your simple words are much more than just simple..
ReplyDeleteThey expressed so much...wish all felt the way you do, if they did the world would surely be a better place to live in !
Lovely and a beautiful post :)
Take Care
Thanks so much fatima! Your comments are so encouraging and made my day :)
DeleteKeep reading, keep visiting :)
I liked the way it, simple, bringing out the best and telling that they are like us, different not because of their own fault. It is very touching. The fourth part where you wrote about bait/alibi is exceptional writing.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant write-up!
Thanks Saru... I am really glad that you liked it...generally Its me who loves all ur poem and that "death of nation" was a world class poetry!
DeleteSomething that has its heart at the right place. Keep up with the good work
ReplyDeleteThank you sooo much, for your beautiful words of appreciation!
DeleteIt was very poignant...
ReplyDeletehmmmm
DeleteBeatiful!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous ji...thank you! but why so anonymity?
DeleteNice blog Ekta...really enjoy reading your posts, am spending time going back through ... Great article,
ReplyDelete