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| This poem was written using excerpts of transcriptions from interviews with street children who stay in SPARC’s Mumbai shelters. 6 boys between the ages of 9 and 18 were interviewed by SPARC affiliates in March of 2012, and quotes from their stories are woven together in this poem. |
Grandmother would shout at me.
Father is a truck driver and never stays at home.
I had bad habits.
Drinking. Eating Gutka.
No food, no proper clothes to wear.
My parents used to beat and shout at me
I don’t want to go back to my native
My parents use to beat and shout at me.
Stepmother and father would always drink and beat
Beat me and beat my younger brother and my sister.
I ran.
I ran away.
I ran away from the house and came to Mumbai.
I used to roam in trains everyday,
stayed at Mumbai Central Station
for one night
one day
I met with an accident.
I was admitted in the hospital.
I used to roam.
A policeman took me to SPARC shelter
I get to have bath every day,
even soap;
clothes to wash,
to wear.
I also get bed and bed sheet.
Sleep .
I have stopped taking all the drugs .
I work in caterers company.
I would like to have my own business.
I am very happy.
Here we all stay together
like brothers.
Gopal uncle takes care of us
like brothers
we all play together.
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| Photo of children in SPARC’s Dadar night shelter, some of whom are quoted in the above poem. |
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