Poems 
Bond of Unity
by Ila Pravin, Sharjah

Once upon a time there lived a merchant
He had five sons who were his descendants
They asked their father for their own share
Co's congestion of space they couldn't bare
The wise father laid a bet
So that in future they don't regret

He asked his sons each stick to get
Which he would use for his bet
The father told his son, "Break these."
And they broke each one with perfect ease
The father gathered the sticks from each
And tied a bundle to make them teach

The bundle of five was so strong
No one was able to break that bond
They tried and tried and tried again
It wasn't possible, it was a pain
This is a moral we must recall
United we stand divided we fall.

November 1, 2005

Illustration by Purnima Varman 

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