LITTLE BOY

 Little boy,

You don’t look pretty when you cry.

There-there now,

Did someone break your toy?

Did someone steal your crown?

Is this why you look so down?

My little boy,

It's hard to see you frown.

 

Little big boy,

Your sanity,

Your integrity,

Your identity,

Will soon be sold to society.

 

All your tears,

You must hide.

With all your strength,

You must fight.

 

My big boy,

For years on this ride,

You’ve been taught

To protect your pride.

To never utter a cry.

With this false knowledge

From the start,

Tattooed onto your fragile heart.

You may escape alive,

But my boy,

I doubt you’d have a happy life.

 

Little boy,

You don’t look pretty when you cry.

There-there now.

Did you lose your toy?

-Manya Singh Patel