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Birthday gift: A poem by Manisha Amol


The little girl woke up, 
With a lot of pain on her face.
Resting on a garbage pile,
She was full of disgrace.

No one around her, 
To embrace her with love.
Or call her by her name,
Life was nothing but shame.

Picked up by a stranger,
In a dirty police van.
Left alone on the cradle,
Under the broken fan.

Days went by aimlessly,
Nights spent in despair.
Never knew of celebrations, 
Or any other fanfare.

One morning there came a surprise,
Her friends shouted and yelled.
Up in the arms of a lovely mother,
Her red cheeks just swelled.

She woke up in peace, a new journey had begun,
Her sad memories dimmed by the setting sun,
Counting the colorful candles and tallying her years,
A special ‘Birthday Gift’ of a new LIFE was all hers.