Little Girl

On the way to the red fort
I met a little girl aged six
wearing her best dress
only slightly ripped
in her hand was a half-eaten sweet
she found with joy on the dusty street

"Little girl, Little girl," said I
running behind her dusty pace
"where is your mother,
where is your father?"
"Ma and dad I have none,"
they found me crying
on the temple ground
only a baby then!
But Ma left me a note"

She put her hand in her best dress
clenched in her tender fist
was her mother's crumpled note.

"Little girl, little girl," said I
"where are you going this august day?"
"Don't you know, today India is free
there is so much color
so much to see
Children from schools
sing songs, it's so festive,
Look there's the PM
He is so short!"

Skipping and jumping
the little girl went on and on,
"thank god its windy"
I looked at her bare feet
on the hard rocky stones
"yes it cools the day"
I agreed with a sympathetic nod.
"No, no silly," she said
"look at our country's flag
It flies and flutters
That's how it should be
for today India is free."

I looked at her with interest
"show me your mother's note
maybe it has her name"
"no, no this note is not for you
my mom wrote it for me
it's only for me
but you can have my sweet"

And as we shared
our freedom sweet,
she said, "today India is free
sooner or later
someone will teach me
how to read."

I saw the flag flutter
in the gentle breeze.

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