This Child, Under the Clouds

© Musue N. Haddad

This child’s face sometimes black
White, yellow, chocolate brown
Sun’s ray always bright
In those eyes, dazzling bright
Everyday story of a little boy
True story of a boy once bright
Unfolding, but with fright
Boy whose birth was celebrated
Face once shone with joy, lighted
Now gravely dampened, clouded
Innocence like my child, and yours
Like every child, this little boy
Born with greatness; a genius
The truth we know
Way of living steals the geniuses
Smiling, pure angelic face
Like my own child, precious
And the child you adored
Then one day, devotion faded
Love slowly withered, cheerless
Mommy stopped listening
“Mommy, Daddy,” this child called
Again and again, over again
His own childlike voice came back
At four years, little child threw a fit
Kicked, screamed, called out louder
Still, Mommy and Daddy didn’t hear
Too busy, distant to their little boy
They cured little boy, not with hugs
Pressed down his tiny throat
Prescribed Anti Psychotic drugs
Volumes, infused in his body system
Now, he’s nine years old; controlled
Handsome, but eyes dull, dreary
Mind blank, bare and stultified
Creativity destroyed, glass-eyed
“Mommy, Mommy,” Daddy, Daddy”
Wordless cries ignored, always
Little boy sobbed as the drugs travels
Down his tiny throat, he wriggles
Slithered through his esophagus
In his stomach, twirled, rock around
Drugs soften; then slowly liquefied
Passed on into blood, circulates
Bubbles into brain, body system
Hear the pounding, crushing sounds
Demise of potentials, dreams shattered
And this innocent boy sits alive
Yet stone dead to this world
Pasty from anti psychotic drugs
One more innocent life crudely robbed
Now a drug-ladened rag doll
Powerful smashing of love in the vein
Tears of shattering dreams
The deep roots of absurd pains
And the trails of tears remain
In the skies of the universe
This child’s path marked by darkness
He lingered his days under the sky
This boy’s dream, another shattered!
And another love lost
Silent tears falling on my heart
For this child under the clouds

Author’s note: Special thanks to Mrs. Justy Blackwell-Satterthwaite, and Latrell Leonard for their listening ears during the composition of this poem.




Copyright © Musue N. Haddad