A Bottle Of Happiness..!!

I live in a place...
Undoubtedly tiny in your eyes,
The World calls it a 'slum';
I call it "My home" :)

Me & My best friend often
Challenge the Sun on who's first!
The Big Lord mostly wins
But we dont give up either!

All day long, I'm amused in the
growing stages of my little sister,
carrying her on my hip is
a Motherly feel at my age of 7..
We dress her up with powder
And take her around like a
Queen in a Palanquin!

We kids here were never taught:
"Cry if you need something"
Our big brother at the end of these
Cluster of houses treats us with
Colour water after 3 consecutive
days of taking out the garbage!

We are prone to diseases, but
Invariably live longer than those who
look down upon us!

Not all our parents beg,
Not all of us sleep on bed,
None of us have seen clear water ;
None of us have littered the big city outside..

I come from a family where
I've learnt the best of life skills...

Mr.Ambani or Mr.Mallya may build another
10-storey house if one burns,
But we run to save this one house of ours
At even the oddest of hours;
Sometimes, Life's greatest deeds are done
By the people who you call 'poor'
And They enjoy nothing more than just
"A Bottle of Happiness" !!!


-Based on the life of a little girl I noticed everyday from my window on the school bus in eighth grade.