HE WILL MAKE THE SKIES HIDE IN SHAME
He was always looking
His eyes glossy with tears
As they had been straining
He had forgotten how to blink
His eyes closed now
The pain soothes away
Yet he keeps seeing
Through his closed eyes
The man measuring the coloured paper
The boy looks up
shoving his four-rupee coin onto the counter
faltering because his eyes are not at the counter
fixated on the colour sheet
big cut up square
his eyes tracing the bends he will make
the curves he will make
but his eyes do it for him
like how the shadows dance before the music
Today was his day
His father still had no money
No money from his no job
His mom still debated over
Whether they needed for tomatoes or onions
In the store while deciding which to give back
For the blunt corners of the rupee note
Were piercing her heart and her shopping bag
Allowing things to fall out into the counter
For the rupee note did all that
But didn’t give her what she needed
Today was beyond all that
The boy he didn’t care about the empty vessels
He’d see at dinner table
For he will be content with flying his thoughts
The kite he shall build
With so much care
For it was the magic carpet
For his thoughts and dreams
May atleast them see the city from up above
Where its magical
And not form the streets of the rich men lane
Where he felt shame
No magic
But today it was to change
Under the shade of the coconut tree
He sat with his friends
Back-to-back
Shielding their kite-making secrets
From one another
While the competition shall arise in the air
Between the little children laughter and love is born
some kites will cut the others
some will win and some might not
yet there won’t be any tension in the air to cut
today was his day
his kite
his paper cut fingers
all his
but, stolen sticks from his mother’s broomstick
it was his day nevertheless
the terrace was scalding hot
but his feet were clenching their teeth
since today was important for him
and his burnt feet will not be in the way
he looks from side to side
his friends on their terraces
one two three up
the kites flew up
so many one would wonder
if it was colours in the blue sky
or if the blue sky hiding behind
behind the colours in shame
it hid and watched the colour show
the kites flew higher and higher
some were cut down
the boy cut his friend’s
but before the kite could fall
his friend had jumped over
and stood by his side now
as many kites fell
the terrace had more than just two scalding feet
his kite was now among his friends
sharing the feeling of flying
only one red kite was soaring
the sky still hid itself
for it was the red that reigned
he watched it glide in the lightness of air
in that moment he knew
that his house could have
no money or food
but as he saw the red kite glide
he knew his problems too
were as light as the air
waiting to be cut across
by him
gliding
feeling
flying
Nandhitha Babuji is a 18-year-old aspiring poet from Tamil Nadu, passionate about using her words to show solidarity against children’s issues.
