From the heart of a CHILD LABOUR



My family has children four.

Ma says there ‘ll be one more

And we will be five of us

All working as child labours.

I do all the work in your home

Sweeping dusting night and day

All day I have to roam

Following orders come what may.

I walk you to the bus stop

You get in to go to the school,

My heart misses a throb

God !Will I die such a fool?

Why my parents sold me to you?

Why your parents bought me then?

Why you’ve everything in life?

Why I curse the ways of men?

Don’t we have the right to live?

Don’t we have a right to grow?

Don’t people have some sense?

To my parents they could say “NO”

If only you stand for me

 And tell your family to wake.

And let me also live my life

And let me not die on a stake!

If you are someone’s son ,

So am I, of God who is great!

If your life has all the fun

Then why so black is my fate?

If all those sitting here

Take a vow to say NO to those

Who force their kids to slave,

Who don’t know a child’s woes.

Then only I can be free

From slogs and toil and strife

Then only I can breathe

And love the magic called life

-22.07.12

This poem , recited by Surabhi of Ahlcon International School won the first prize in Zonals in the year 2013