British poet, Carol
Rumens, was born in London, England. Most of her poetry is inspired by places
she has visited. The satirical poem ‘Carpet-weavers, Morocco’ recollects her
experiences in Morocco. In Morocco – a poor third-world country – children of
school-going age are sent to cottage industries. Rumens talks about the cruelty
of child labour and the harsh conditions children have to bear. Children are
not even aware of the injustice they are going through. Instead of being sent
to school, they are sent to work in industries.
Walking down the
streets of Morocco, Rumens sees children of different Ages and heights, weaving
carpets. During this process, they weave a picture of a garden of Paradise. Their
only source of entertainment is watching flickering knots of thread flying into
the air while weaving carpets.
The children are
performing an activity which will be cherished forever. In the process, they
are learning the hardships of life and invading time. ‘School of days’ sadly
evokes school days. The children are meant to be at school. The unsightly facet
of child labour is that children are denied their due rights and compelled to
work in factories to earn livelihood.
Most children
their age enjoy watching television; whereas these children are fabricating a
world of their dreams and hopes which is denied. They can only access the world
of desires through their imagination, which serves s a key to their lost hopes.
The patterns they weave on the carpet are their only source of entertainment.
The carpets will
be sent to mosques in Islamic nations on which Muslims will prostrate. The children
weave the ‘garden of Islam’ – a satirical image implying that many people are
entering the web of Islam; hence, more children would be forced into child
labour to make more carpets for worshippers. The spread of Islam would demand
more carpets which would lead to a proportional increase in child labour as
well. Children learn to think that labour of today might bear fruits tomorrow.
The poem was
written to make the world realize and take notice of the predicament of
third-world countries – the miserable plight of child labour. It infuses in our
minds and spirits that steps should be taken to stop child labour, to allow
children across the globe the bliss of education, liberty, luxury and their due
rights.