There are always children who make plans,

For what they’ll become when they grow up,

What profession to get into, what home, and what family they’ll have,

What they will do in the world, when as adults they show up.

There was this child, 12-years-old

Who was named Vladimir Kovaskin,

He was the son of a rising merchant,

Whose progress to higher ranks was being seen,

He wanted to be higher than his dad,

And become a business owner,

He wanted to move to Ukraine,

And there become a father,

But first, he hoped to go to a big college,

For which he was saving money,

To take up studies in economics,

To manage his wealth, optimistic of his days being sunny.

Vladimir wanted to join the Orthodox Russian church,

To start studying the Bible,

And become a very religious man,

With regular church, his schedule would be full,

He also wanted to become a writer,

Writing stories in praise of noblemen and the tsar,

And of heroes on horses and knights gallantly fighting,

Sometimes all going to lands afar.

Such were the plans about his life when he grows up,

Made by Vladimir Kovaskin,

And he was planning all of this,

In Russia in the year 1913.

The author wishes to dedicate this poem to Malala Yousufzai.

Read more by Shahzeb here.

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of The Express Tribune.