There was once a boy

There are a few experiences in my life which have, on occasion, brought out the poet in me. One of those experiences, combined with my recent pledge to write fiction, has given birth to this poem. Hope you like it. Feel free to post your comments in the section below. 

There was once a boy

There was once a boy
who tried to understand the world.
To understand the rules of the game,
To figure out how everything works 

He asked his father, "what's out there?"
But the humble man had never even left his city.
He said "Son, life out there, is dangerous & tough.
So be careful if you go. If you fail, it'll be a pity" 

He asked his mom, a woman who wished she knew.
She had the same dreams of figuring the world out.
She had the same thoughts as a young woman,
and she realised they were passed on to him in her womb.  

So she told him what she could, not knowing what she should
"Son, I don't know what's out there, I hope it's nothing bad.
But I know you well, I've raised you right. So be brave,
be kind and have the time of your life that I never had." 

So the boy took his passport and his bag.
Packed up his things, whatever little he had.
He took his savings, the hard work of his past
And he set out on a journey, to the faraway lands.  

He met people he had never met before.
He saw places he read about in the books he had before
And perhaps the most important of it all,
He fell in love like he had never fallen before.  

But he knew that wasn't what he was meant for.
He had to figure out the world.
He had to understand the rules of the game.
He had to figure out how everything works.  

So he sacrificed his love, much like his cosy life back home
And continued his journey, through the lands unknown.
He thought he made the right choice. Some things in life are bigger than life itself.
He realised how wrong he was, as he sat outside his house alone at 70, all by himself.

Sushant Mehta