Little Lioness

A teacher in his twilight years chances upon an old student. Memories follow..

You could blame the years that’d piled on.

Or my thinning hair or an ageing man’s poor eyesight.

But I could spot an old student from a mile away.

She stood across the street- tall beautiful and proud.

Waiting for the speeding cars to stop.

They didn’t. Neither did my mind.

 

She used to sit at the furthest corner of my class.

The awkward pig-tailed child, all of ten.

You know the ones, who are alone in a crowd?

The ‘Fat Girl’ with the warmest heart.

The ‘Strange Kid’ with the biggest smile.

People talked as people would.

 

No one knew that  She comforted

 the Troubled Boy at recess.

Helped Stuttering Simone learn

The poem for Annual Day.

Walked home with the Quiet Girl,

Who forgot her way, everyday.

 

No one knew, no one cared.

I often  found her crying, after-hours.

Butt of another mean joke, of another  cruel prank.

For people were as people would be,

 

And my heart bled and bled.

 

More than a Decade later,

 Her eyes gleamed with recognition as they met mine.

The graceful young lady smiled radiantly

At this old haggard man on the other side of the road.

The traffic lights changed and She was gone.

Lost in the sea of humanity.

And all I was left with, was the memory of a dimpled smile.

 

I limped home, humming and happy.

The duckling hadn’t changed into a Swan overnight,

The Little Lioness had learnt to roar.

 

Reviews

[Pushkar Prabhat]

WoW!!!!
lovely beautiful poem.......

"You know the ones, who are alone in a crowd?

The ‘Fat Girl’ with the warmest heart.

The ‘Strange Kid’ with the biggest smile.

People talked as people would."

masterfully crafted......
thank you for sharing.....
i loved it!!!!
:)