Poetry

Judgement day arrived to
Determine success and failure.
Festivity and celebration
Ruled the institutions...
Sense of pride glowed
In the faces of those
Who had expectations,
Glorious smile shone
On the cheeks of those
Who burnt midnight's oil;
Except for the bulk
Who remained unsuccessful...
Depression, fear, shame
Reigned the pale young faces,
Feelings of guilt reflected
In the eyes of those
Who whiled away time.
But, my heart pained
For those unfortunate innocents -
Who just recovered from
Encephalitis or glaucoma,
And those puppets of fate
Who tried to cope with the loss
Of a parent or sibling.
Questions whirl in my mind
And I do wonder...
Can three hours judge the
Performance of tender brains -
Their intelligence, their brilliance?
The silent sufferers,
Tagged as failures,
Shed tears in solitude,
Their dreams being eclipsed -
Stare towards a bleak future.

[Published in 'melange', the Sunday supplement of 'The Sentinel' on 31 October 2010]