In the Mind of a Child Apprentice

Abstract

This morning too,
Before the sun,
He hiked to the Dhaba.
Same orders, same shouts,
Full of heartless abuse and inhuman taunts,
The seven-year-old began his routine.
Cleaning, moping, carrying loads;
Washing vessels and dusting menu boards.
Yet, a torrent of abuse and incoherence,
Unbearable words, like piercing arrows from a bow.
They pinch the heart and bring forth tears.
Who cares about the tears?
Who cares about the soul?
Sometimes traumatic,
Erupting like molten lava from a volcano top.
Thundering like the gale which never seems to stop.
But all within himself.
His thoughts just fly,
Worrying about: will he ever reach the sky?
After the inner conflicts for a moment,
He gets back to his work,
Leaving all his hopes behind.
~~~ Athira Raj is young poet with a passionate drive to influence the world through her emotional writings.