His Goal Poem by Sandra Martyres

Each hesitant baby step
Took him a few inches more
Towards his ultimate goal

His environment did not help
Living in an overcrowded slum
Meant many obstacles to overcome

Yet he tried to strive further
Without encouragement or help
From his good for nothing father

What really egged him on daily
Were the pathetic living conditions
They were forced to survive under

Long queues for drinking water
Sporadic electricity and noise
From the constant squabbling

The neighbours tried hard to live in
A forced and dull kind of harmony
But that was virtually impossible

The basic facilities were inadequate
To receive a fair share one needed
To be assertive and even aggressive

All these daily irritants and miseries
Led to his increasing efforts to study
And appear for every scholarship exam

Till one day an eminent journalist
Picked up his story and published it
A philanthropist was really touched

He asked to meet the young boy alone
After quizzing him quite thoroughly
He confirmed that he was a real genius

Life changed almost overnight for the boy
He gained admission to the best university
With all his boarding and tuition fees funded

He left home happy but sad at the same time
His smiling Mother's worn hands and tired eyes
Made him promise that he would be back soon

To make sure that she lived a better life
Away from the drudgery and the hardships
That plagued her daily in the dreary slum