My Little Neighbor

‘Bee, sit down,’

‘Bee, don’t go out’

‘Bee, don’t run.' 'Bee, don’t shout’

All day, the flat next door

Reverberates with the sound of ‘don’t.’

Amidst lives Bee… an 8 year old

girl. Thin body, dark hair

With large eyes - full of fear.

The girl stands quiet

in the balcony. Her eyes,

so full of despair,

stay fixed on the road where

Boys of 6,7, 8,9,10,

play cricket with abandon

Joy. Nobody asks them not to run

or scream, or to slow down.

I see her heave

a deep sigh.

a few yellowed leaves

of a tree nearby

fall on her head, as though

 in sympathy. A strong gush of wind

comes and goes carrying

 that sigh away. The sun starts setting.

In the ray of pink sun and yellowed leaves

Stands my little neighbor

Free, yet chained.

This evening again, laughter echoed

On the road. Next door,

 a childhood got robbed.