A boy ridiculed was indeed one with a utopian view, says Harinder, in this poem, exclusively for Different Truths.

People called him insane
He was teased as a ‘boy with no brain’
That day he was scolded and slapped
When the teacher saw his world map
He had drawn just one square
And there were no boundaries there
No dividing lines and no borders
The teacher asked him to bring his father
But he stood there with his bowed head
The teacher was with anger going red
And as he raised his voice again
The boy begged to explain,
That he sees the world as one Utopian land
Where everyone walks hand in hand
Where there are no dividing lines
Where people do not fight in the name of ‘Yours and Mine’
The teacher had tears in his eyes
And he told the boy amidst stifled cries
That the boy could see the world whole, when others see it in parts,
And where is the need to have a calculating brain if you have a big, good heart.

Visual by Different Truths

Harinder Cheema

Harinder Cheema is a renowned poetess and an internationally published author. Her novel, ‘The Temple Stop’ received ‘The Best Book of the Year Award 2020’ by Aghaaz, Author in You. She is the co-author of 17 poetry anthologies. Her short stories have been published in the coffee table books. Her articles have been published in various international magazines, and she has also received many prestigious honours and awards in the field of literature.