Two children, neighbours,
went to the same school
and had the same set of friends

Over time, one child withdrew into himself
Quiet, shy, reserved, eyes downcast
His parents struggled to understand this change

Till one day, they realized the cause
The children and a few elders teased
their son regularly and called him “Dark”

They wounded the innocent mind with harsh words
They isolated him from activities
They bruised the tender mind repeatedly

When did the color of skin start to matter?
When the color of blood in our veins is the same
When we all fade into ashes, after our last breath

When the Sun, Earth, Wind, Rain don’t discriminate
Why does man then get tangled in the maze of colours?
Isn’t life about living, our actions, beyond the color of skin?

(c) Vijaya Gowrisankar