Moment before Slumber

a poem by Kamar Sultana Sheik

O Pied Piper, how I wish you came again
And charmed the pests that plague our town!!!
The ugly gnats of Poverty and Pain
The poisonous fleas of illness and sorrow
Waging war on an unknown tomorrow
We fight for Food,
To only ourselves, we do good.
Our children have grown up before they have grown…
Our elders are helpless and childish…
We seek to cheat each other
Brother is killing brother.
Lead these viles down the streets, and drown them in the Sea!!!
We shall be grateful to thee.

O Genie of the Lamp,
How I wish you just appear,
With food for the hungry multitudes.
Their hearts brim with emptiness, their eyes hold a tear
Fill those hearts with joy, and wipe those eyes clear.
Bring them their desired delights,
Fill their dim homes with lights
Make Princes of poor boys
And may they rule their Land With Wisdom and Truth.
With a swirl of your magic wand
May Sleeping Beauty rejoice-
That her Prince has at last come…
To crown her Queen of his Kingdom!!

O Fairy Godmother,
Many a Cinderella seeks thy help
Where riches rule the rules of wedlock,
Make many minds know the worth
Of fitting the Glass Slipper…
O Good Witch of Oz,
Our Cities need thy aid…
Our people wear glasses of black,
And have forgotten the light of Love
Kiss their foreheads, so they are given back
The power of which they are made!!

I do not know if my dreams
Shall ever come true.
But I believe in the tale of the magic beans
Which grew to reach the sky in the night…
So too, I believe, everything will be alright!!