There was once a little boy
Among other little boys.
The ruler of his little world
Of big dreams and little toys.
There he was in his little class,
Thinking what a big bore
Was the Lady in the front
Who said what A,B and C stood for!
It was just a little too down-to-earth
For his passionate flying dreams
To learn the ways of the world
And comprehend what the world deems.
But his little bustling spirit
Won't let him sit there in vain
So he ignoring his circumference
Set out to make a paper plane!
Even before the other children
Learnt what E stood for
He had victoriously made a plane
All ready to fly, to soar.
But patience is a worker's wine
It is not a winner's sauce:
Even before the wing was done
His plane was up with a toss.
Darn!Dash!God!Beast!What a Holy sin!
For a little boy to work
On his frivolous dreams
Just to make the Lady irk!
Out he was sent, out of the class
All alone facing the wall.
And Who would have thought his little world
Would suddenly grow so tall?
So tall, so dark, so alien
As he stood there, alone,
Unthinking, nor crying in this Big dark world,
tearing and getting torn.
He wondered what he will tell his mom.
Or how could he just hide?
Once what he looked most forward to:
Today he despised the homeward ride.
Big questions troubled his little world.
He wondered about victories and aim,
About past and future, All alone,
he wondered: Who I am?
He took a quick glance into the class
Just to have a little look
At that pretty little girl
Who had each day his world shook!
He knew she had watched him make
His dream plane all the while,
Her one hug will make his world small again
To be lit by her pretty smile.
As he wondered and he wished,
All the kids came running out
The bell might have rang sometime back
But he stood deaf to every shout.
He asked just this, that could he
Get his worthy work back?
But the thing had long gone
With a complain to the Headmaster's sack!
The Lady went pass with a scolding look
The pretty girl couldn't care less
Dejected he walked home,
The distance increased as it became less!
But Lor'! Did he ever imagine this?
Mommy will just hear and hug
Just smile as if it were a thing too small,
"Dearie, relax, make yourself snug!"
Home is but made for this
but even the Headmaster had a surprising decree.
Impressed as he was with the design
He kept the plane but let the boy free.
And among the golds remembered by all,
Saved with honour in the Headmaster's hall
Is a perfect symbol of dream and labour,
Of small things with too big a stature,
A plane well crafted by a little kid,
In a little class, with too high a bid.
And years hence, the kids on detention
Come to that hall and look in attention
As they wonder about themselves,
they Even wonder who? And in what way?
Was this plain miracle crafted by
It pleases their hopes, not just their eye!
Waiting for the decision and also the name,
Who must have attained too high a fame,
They imagine how mighty the man would be
Whom they already wanted to grow up to be.
As they are freed too, they are told:
"It was just a little boy
who was just a little bold!"
Palak.
24.4.06.
(To Joy, with love)
