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Every 'Birthday' isn't 'Happy'

Day 2/30: A series where I write a poem every single day for 30 days.

By Maryam BatoolPublished 6 months ago 1 min read

Alisha leaves her bed to a new fresh day

She has to earn her bread, at the age when she should play

She carries her crafted hats and sets off to the street

She does this everyday, regardless of scorching heat

"Pink hats, cute hats", she chants like a bird

Somedays she earns the bread, few other; she's unheard

But, today was a special day, It was her 13th birthday

"Happy Birthday, sweetheart", she felt no one would say

She knew birthdays were special, she'd seen girls celebrate

She'd seen a hundered cakes but never one in her plate

How could a BIRTHDAY, for her be a wish?

No one would give her gifts, no one would set her dish

For poor people do have a Christmas, but it's not always merry

They have a birthday too, but who said the word 'happy'?

She went to work that day, no matter her 'birthday'

To feed herself and stay, that was her life and way

.

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading! Have a beautiful day ahead :)

childrens poetryFamilyheartbreakStream of Consciousnesssad poetry

About the Creator

Maryam Batool

I'm 17

I'm a storyteller who loves poems, fiction, and romance. Creativity is my constant companion. I take joy in turning thoughts into worlds. Writing is my way of exploring life and connecting with others

Ready to let my writing bloom!

Reader insights

Nice work

Very well written. Keep up the good work!

Top insights

  1. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  2. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

  3. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  2. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

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Comments (6)

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  • Sandy Gillman6 months ago

    This was heartbreaking, but very true.

  • Nice poem with some deep ponderous thoughts. Well done! You are right Christmases aren’t always merry and birthdays aren’t always happy. But we can find the will in our minds to reach a personal merriment or happiness within these respective events. Even the poorest most destitute person can have a modicum of happiness living within themselves. I like what Calvin London stated in the previous comment: People have the ability to love.

  • Calvin London6 months ago

    Beautiful, sad but true. There is so much dichotomy in the world and different levels of success, kindness, health, etc. There is one thing that is uniform across all levels of society. People have the ability to love.

  • My heart broke so much for her 😭😭😭😭😭

  • Karan w. 6 months ago

    For poor people do have a Christmas, but it's not always merry They have a birthday too, but who said the word 'happy'? These two lines hold the soul of the entire poem. A beautiful one and so sad!

  • Rowan Finley 6 months ago

    A heartbreaking truth 🥺

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