The Bell

At any ordinary bus-stop,
There sat 2 persons,
On any ordinarily dirty bench.

A man & a boy were they,
Occupying this space,
On any ordinary day.

"Eh boy, what is your name?"
The boy looks left & right...
Noone else.. "Salim is my name"

"So what do you do?"
"Boy named Salim"
"What do you do?"

"I go to school man"
I dont need your name,
"I go to school"
I dont need what you do..

"And what have you learnt"
"In this school of yours boy"
"What have you learnt?"

Ugggh. I dont need to tell.
"I learn number and letters and talk and stories"
"I learn what I need to know"

"thats all? what else boy"
"what else you know?!"
"tell boy, tell!"

Ugggh. I no need to tell, I know no more.
Minutes after minutes pass.
And the boy's bus arrives.

"tell boy, tell! tell me more"
"tell me more, before u go!"
The boy alights the bus.

He looks back and shouts- "the bell!"
"BELL?!..what bell!?!"
"bell at the end of the day".."and I am free!"

The bus rattled away with a trail of smoke,
The boys words echoed.

"Bell at the end of the day"
"To set me free"

The man squatted back..
A Bell to set me free at the end of the day,
~~~~~~~
~~~~
~~
Only to start all over again..

Photo captured: Feb 2008