Little Pleasures of Life- A poor child's view!

Little Pleasures of life

For them it is not about fine dining or even a three course meal,

It is about getting from somewhere a little loaf of bread.

For them it is not about sleeping on a nice feathered mattress,

It is about the end of a hard perilous day.

For them it is not about taking a hot water bath,

It is about getting ready for yet another day of tribulations.

For them it is not about making money and being content,

It is about forcefully driving an auto under the sun.

For them it is not about love and family,

It is a about saving your hands from scars for a being a girl.

For them it is not about hard work and dedication,

It is about getting money by hook or crook.

For them it is not about gaining education and being affluent,

It is about getting to know the little pleasures of life.

Shagun Maheshwari

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This poem was written by me in 2013 at Infosys Hyderabad.

After teaching kids of 1^st standard till 10^th standard in a dilapidated government school where barren cold floor was their classroom, sun was their source of light, poverty was their friend and education their distant dream, I realised how these kids were still unacquainted with the larger things that life could unveil.

In an era of 20^th century, where we are one of the most quickly growing economy, these kids still find peace in little pleasures of life. Sometimes, I sit back and think that what dramatic change EDUCATION can bring in the lives of kids and their families. What if their father was educated and pushed them towards education?

We had thus organised a fund raising at Infosys (and recited this poem as well J ) to help them un-marshal these knots in their lives. The response was immense and the awareness among people was excellent.

After this, we could start our Education initiative for four more government schools with immaculate dedication from people.