Why not me?

This poem expresses the feelings of a poor 12 year old boy who works in his father's tea stall. The stall is in front of a school so he asks God that why can't he go to school. It is based in India.

Everyday I watch students come to school and then leave,

But I am still stuck here washing glasses of tea,

My father is a poor man who owns this tea stall,

And in my dreams I fly in my private Jet,

But when I wake up I fall,

I also want to go to school and become a big man,

But my father doesn't have enough money DAMN!

Parents come to pick their wards in expensive cars after school,

But for me I think that they are the biggest fools,

Because their children don't come here to study but to have fun,

And when I see them wasting their money,

I feel like shooting them with a gun,

They wear clean uniforms,

But I wear my usual torn vest and dirty pyjamas,

With money they can have anything but I can barely afford a dozen bananas,

They talk to their parents with extreme rudeness, 

And my father told me that such people exhibit foolishness,

Because parents on earth are equal to God,

And the person who disrespects them is nothing more than a dog.

But why are they rich and I am poor?

Why are poor many and the rich are fewer,

If everyone is equal in God's eyes,

Then I don't know where the answer lies,

God, please make this right,

If their mornings are happy then why mine are not so bright?

Tell me the mistake for which I am poor,

Because for all the bad things they are the doer,

They bunk their classes and style their hair,

Whereas to earn money my father runs here and there,

I really want to earn money and help my father,

But for that firstly I have knowledge to gather,

If I could God, then I would have wrote to you a letter,

So that you could have made things better.

When I close my eyes, I dream of having a big house with a lawn,

But when I open them then all my dreams drown,

But I appreciate God for all things you have given me,

A father, a mother and a slum house adjacent to a sea,

It could have been better if I had more,

But I won't like to lose what I have that's for sure,

I wouldn't be sad God if you want to use me as your tool,

But the scene would have been different if I had gone to a school,

The only question I have for you God if you will ask me,

Is that if they can go to school then why not me?

Reviews

[maria ( rose)]

WAkashdeep, I think you did a swell job with this poem. I like the rhythmic flow has great depth & clarity.
just unfortunate for the poor that have to turn to God and ask why? This was so touching. Thank you for sharing.
maria rose♥