By: Debleena Majumdar

They said fishes cannot fly
But you drew paper fishes.
They flew, free, in your dreams,
With their wings of silver and gold.
But who would believe if you told?

They said its’ raining; run inside
Don’t play with the dirty street kids
But you stood; arms stretched, eyes closed,
You embraced happiness, each tiny drop.
Praying that the rain would never stop.

Years passed; and they said, look
At all the others; the money, the cars.
You looked, but you only found shackles
Of designations decorating the latest brand
Your goal was written on the shifting sand.

They said this is dangerous; are you mad?
These are not our battles. But you walked on
The forgotten dirt road, not the glittering highway.
You wrote of voices subdued; of shadows that lay
In the dark corners where sunlight had lost its way.

In their drawing rooms,
Wine glasses in hand,
They talked of freedom,
Breaking news of the day.
Till the next course made its way.

You walked the dusty trail,
Tired and spent after a long day,
Of painting the rainbow in the sky.
The wind sang a tune in your ear,
A song that no one else could hear.

For them freedom
Was a word,
For you, it was life.