Reverie

I saw that child again,
Swinging too and fro on his legs,
Oscillating his body like the half made decisions,
Talking about mundane things with precision.
.
His hands crossed behind his back,
Like a student assembled before head,
The innocent face scrunched up in scowl,
The unrelenting commentary about his bowl.
.
The sun burnt the earth's surface,
Yet he stood under the house's ledge,
Watching the birds, and empty shed,
Must be thinking about some Roman wreckage.
.
A sudden emotion surged towards the boy,
I wanted to talk to him about his toys,
The lone child craved for some company
And unknown imagination had him accompanied.
.
Many voices laughed at him, and many scowled,
He had learnt the hard way about the meaning of that frown,
He was scared out of his wits, but didn't show,
He somehow knew that world will rip him apart if they knew.
.
Alone and quarantined,
That's how he had been for 12 years.
.
I have seen him grow from an infant to a child,
Yet his name, I was unable to find.
Every morning while getting ready for school bus,
I used to see his parents struggling to get him ready, and not cuss.
.
He wanted attention,
Used all his desires,
In creating stories,
That was his own multi dimensional glory.
.
I saw him again,
Taller than he was, and still oscillating,
And I got lost in my own reverie,
Where just like him, I am in my own glory.

- Raj Nandani

Napowrimo 2020