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ARRESTED INNOCENCE
She brought him to this park, warily the first time Her son, whose mind had for long ceased to grow, At odds with his body, now that of a man With the innocence of childhood, his face all aglow
Awkwardly approaching the children around Asking them if they would let him play too The words were garbled, an effort to speak His gait always clumsy and his face askew Children can be cruel, but their hearts are so pure At first they harassed him with sadistic glee But soon he was just another happy child in the group His mind was arrested but his soul was so free It all happened one evening, sometime in May He was playing at the park, just that once until late Spotted a familiar looking woman in the distance Heading in a hurry for the nearest exit gate Thinking it was his mother, he ran towards her Shouting in his own noisy language of fear Scared he was being left behind on his own His arms were flailing, his cheeks drenched in tears It was dark, she was facing the other way around So he grabbed at her dress to get her attention Fearing the worst, she turned, screaming in horror Suddenly, it was too late for any explanation
They took him away to the local asylum Called him violent and dangerous to society at large Shock treatments and drugs to keep him sedated The sparkle in his eyes, now just a distant mirage His mother still comes to the park sometimes Alone in her sorrow, her helplessness and pain The children are playing, the sounds are the same But for her and her son, everything has changed! SWATI CHADNRAN
The Author has copyright © of the poems
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