Birthday

A beggar she was,

clad in rags, dancing swiftly,

collecting tidbits from the garbage that was. 

She hummed, she drummed,

for her that was the only fun. 

 She knew not it was her birthday

that day. 

Reaching home, 

She was in awe.

Her mom had prepared for her bath, she saw. 

She was scrubbed, she was rubbed,

to wash away the grub.

Her mother had sewn a frock from the rags that she had collected from piles of garbage she sorted out, at a tailors hub. 

A beautiful rainbow-colored gown

adorned her skinny brown. 

A strip of yellow and red ribbon stood out on her head. 

Her sparkling eyes gleamed from the khnol khnol around her eyes. 

A beautiful rose stuck in her braid.

She looked like a princess. 

Her feet were covered with oversized sandals. 

These were thrown away, near a shop, in bundles. 

That was the bounty her father collected. 

Her white pearly teeth, 

shone from her mouth as she smiled. 

Her friends had gathered around a wooden plank, 

a tabletop that was. 

Her brother collected a cake from a dustbin,

thrown by some rich passerby. 

There were no candles, no other toys.

She cut the cake, as seen in movies, on tvs. 

All sang 'Happy Birthday ' to you dear Rajkumari. 

in mixed sweet and hoarse tunes.

She received gifts from her friends.

They too collected from the garbage, near the street ends. 

She felt like a princess.

They all danced to the music from their favorite songs. 

That was all to her, to enthrall. 

The happiest moment it was,

the best Birthday that was.