My Genie Poem by Meenakshi Hariharan

I was given a lot of work, one day in school,
Surely boring math and science, fit for a fool.
I prayed God to grant me a wish
He sent a genie with a swish.

With very little hair, short and stout,
Wearing a yellow shirt, like a scout.

God granted me this wish under one condition,
The genie must never be jobless in any situation.
Failing which my head would burst into ten piece.
Thinking of my homework, I was at peace.

In a soft voice, the genie said, “Give me your command”
Complete all my homework was my only demand.

I thought him to be a dork,
But it completed all my home work
Within a second.
To my fates end

Again it asked for a command, what could be said,
If I don’t say any, I would be dead.

Then I handed him a broom
And asked it to clean my room.
As cleaning my room is a difficult task,
I thought I would sit and bask.

But to my great surprise,
It cleaned my room before I could blink my eyes.

I didn’t know what to say next,
If I don’t say my head would be a bust.
Thinking, I went near the window sill,
Where I found a dog, whose tail was never still.

Then looking at my genie, feeling very pale
I asked him to straighten the dog’s tail.

The genie went and tried
To straighten the dog’s tail, but he failed.
The genie tried in shine and rain,
But the tail would bend back without any pain.

Being successful in my command,
At the thought of having saved my head.

I felt water splashing on my face,
Then I got up from the daze.
Neither dog nor genie
Homework still to be done by me.

But when my dream comes true
What would I do?