The Neighbourhood Lad

By Subhadeep Santra

That menacing neighbourhood lad

is a happy go lucky but a little too bad

He makes a mockery of my growing size

With insult and rage I aggrandize

He whistles at me to make me glare

How I wish I could be all square

He has no work but to idle the day away

He cares not for what society has to say

He has no sense of honour like the good boys

A shameless goon making noise

I wish I could break his neck

I wish he dies of ship wreck

Let the roof fall on his head

I wish that vagabond is simply dead

But alas! I lay on the road stained in red

Hit by a car that quickly fled

I see good boys who stop by

They talk pity and then leave me to die

Afraid that the shirt may catch the stain

The boss may be angry if he is late again

Some were afraid that the police may harass them

None desire to be caught in a useless mayhem

Then I saw that neighbourhood lad

running towards me like a man gone mad

calling a cab he picked me on his arms

His ever teasing face is now dead calm

He cared not a bit of what others shall say

He cared for his heart and could not turn away

As I was gasping for my last breath really bad

"Drive fast Chauffer" cried that menacing neighbourhood lad.

By Subhadeep Santra