Strings of Life

Riya could never be alone
her mind could never rest
thoughts kept serenading
her tiny fragile mind

she always smiled, her best weapon
she had never shown her tears
he had taught her to be strong
and he is the center of her world

his sweet talks would amuse her
his broad shoulders, her only support
she would keep retelling his stories
to her only companion, her brown diary

she would dance and sway
to the tunes of his songs
he would laugh and rejoice
and whisper lullabies in her ears

she would adorn and wait patiently
every day by the door
he would rush back home with a rose
to see the smile on her face

many years went by
and their love grew strong
somewhere in the corner of her heart
she knew she was soon going to miss him.


*******************************


Ajay could never sleep
without a tear in his eyes
always thinking about her
and her lovely little ways

he wanted to do so much for her
color her world and fill her with love
he could sing and laugh to see her smile
he knew he would never be the same again

he would rush back home
with a rose in his hand
to see her smile that
lights up his world

he wanted to hold her tight
and protect her from the world
he would go to the ends
to see her live by

he now wants her back
from the clutches of AIDS
he could never live alone
and be the father of a dead.


Gist of the poem: The heart-wrenching realities of AIDS affected and infected victims. A father growing his motherless daughter and fighting to keep her happy until her last breath. His 10-year old daughter, an AIDS victim, has nothing in her world but for her father and the disease which has sealed her fate.

Note: Sadly, unlike the divine love shared between the father and his daughter here, realities have bitter stories to tell. Thousands of children are abandoned in the streets after being diagnosed with AIDS. Who are to be blamed? What wrong have they committed? The answers are bleak. This is a small dedication to all the AIDS affected children in the world who long for only one thing - your love. Your time and love can make a world of difference to them, at least as long as they live.