Tucked-in shirt,
Tightened with belt
Fairly combed hair,
Nervous he felt.Excited parents,
Wearing masks of glow and charm
They too were nervous from within,
Life’s clock had struck a new alarm.Will he be able to,
Take the responsibilities coming by?
Will he walk through the rocky path,
And bid his fears Good-bye?Will he take up the challenges,
And jump the hurdles coming across?
Or will he sit with utter disappointment,
And feel his life is a loss?Will he shine in the eyes of teachers,
Like the Pole Star, so bright?
Or will he let us down one day,
By becoming dull and light?Will the burden of marks and peer pressure,
Drown him in the ocean of stress?
Will his books become his Best friends,
Or a reason of distress?Will he get a good college,
Will he get a good grade?
Or will he flunk and ashame us,
And let our expectations fade?Will he make us proud,
By making his career glow?
Or will he stay dependent,
And make us feel too low?In a sheer competitive world,
Will he, in the heavy crowd, break?
Or will he pass with flying colours,
And the world with his success, shake?Are we thinking too much?
Are we doing wrong?
Will these questions burden him more,
Or make his will more strong?The flow of their questions was perennial,
This ocean was an immortal one.
The fact that they failed to realize was,
His innocence had just begun.Name of thy Innocence was Childhood,
On the verge of getting lost.
They too, like every other parent,
Failed to realize its cost.Expecting is a natural thing,
But do not snatch his joy.
Let him grow and blossum freely
Don’t treat him like a toy.
