Monday, 19 May 2008
stoicism----Read Write Poetry/Monday Poetry Train
And come ride the Monday Poetry Train...
that child as still as a unmoved rock,
with a stoic befitting a saint-
sat on the temple steps.
in the shadows of the night
he could be taken for a stone God
taken out of the sanctum
left there by some thief
in his haste to run.
only his eyes moved rapidly
like blinking lights-
when hunger pangs danced
wild in his belly-
he howled like a distressed dog,
waking the whole neighbourhood
from its lazy stupor.
pademonium broke loose
whose child was he?
he had been left on the temple steps
by his mother, and told to be quiet
so he had sat there for the past two days
as still as a unmoved rock
with a stoic befitting a saint,
until hunger pangs corroded his guts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lately I have been thinking of homeless children. I can't get them out of my mind. Hence my last few posts are somewhat about those children.
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Oh my God, Gautami - are you trying to crush my heart into pulp? SO sad.
ReplyDeleteawwhhh.. this is so sad..
ReplyDeleteThe central image of this, the 'stone' child, is very powerful.
ReplyDeleteI seen a story on tv once about this happening to a boy at a circus....after 8 hours of no mom, a lady finally called CAS and in the end, she ended up adopting him. He was blessed with a pretty good life after that and he's thankful. The ones who remain like you described, just break my heart.
ReplyDeleteBoth this and the one below are beautifully done in a dark and foreboding way. You really have me thinking about homeless children also.
ReplyDeleteThanks for moving my heart today.
I just wonder how a parent can do that to his/her child!
ReplyDeleteI can fell the wait for that poor child, being all good waiting for his mommy! Sadening!
poor child, very sad
ReplyDeleteHow deeply moving, gautami! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThat repetition in the third stanza is quite effective.
ReplyDeleteGosh, this is sad! I want to take him home and fatten him up!
ReplyDelete"taken for a stone God"
ReplyDeletebeautiful and moving
maybe you will adopted one of these homeless children or somehow help them? it is hard not to do more than we do...
You do tragic beautifully. It shows how deeply you care.
ReplyDeleteThis was beautiful, Gautami... and hauntingly sad. I am not suprised that one as dear as you would be so moved about these children...
ReplyDeletethank you for writing such a touching poem...
He tried do as he was told. I feel like his mother wanted better than she could give, otherwise, why a temple for the stone god?
ReplyDeleteheart-wrenching stuff, and excellently executed
ReplyDeletewow. powerful stuff. it's so sad to know that this happens to a number of children. you have a talent with your words!
ReplyDeleteso moving. the metaphor and images are sered in my heart.
ReplyDeletei love that this poem is also a story.
thanx for visiting my mother's day photo essay last week and my heatwave haiku this week. sorry i am so late in returning them
oh it's so clear, and so very sad; i just want to grab the child and take him and give him a nice warm bed and food, and tell him what a good boy he's been for waiting still for so long...
ReplyDeleteI love the rock and stone imagery. Makes me think not only of the child being still, but of going unnoticed.
ReplyDeleteWow! Very powerful!
ReplyDeleteI was going to say what Jennifer just did. The stillness and loneliness. And things are also immortalized in stone, so there is that feeling of endlessness as well...
ReplyDelete