Summer Nostalgia

Today while playing hide and seek,

We realised there weren’t plenty of places to hide;

Neither tree trunks, nor slides inside,

How in the world do we even pass our time?

It’s been ages that missy went outside,

or ran after a detached kite,

She doesn’t know any kids her age,

and doesn’t know the fun of summer break!

She hides inside on seeing a new face,

Only house helps are her saving grace…

I remember when we were her age,

We used to look forward to summer days!

Climbing up the tree and cycling unceasingly,

everything done assiduously!

The fun it was, to stay back at granny’s place,

and laze around reading,

Tintin, Asterix & Obelix the entire day!

Video game parlours were always full,

and life in summers was never dull!

We used to wait in excitement for the candy floss man,

And ran like maniacs behind the ice cream van.

The evenings were spent not in the park but fields,

where each had occupied space for their teams;

Cricket & soccer were the obvious sports,

nevertheless, someone always chalked out the ground for pitthu & stappo.

Evenings came and so did all the mums to the ground,

they sat on the bench and gossiped around;

the summers I remember were crazy and warm,

it makes me nostalgic but I remember most of the smells and sound!

I remember how my friends called me from 3 blocks away,

Their persistent shrieks would always brighten my day…

I remember the smell that encroached the veranda to reach my room,

The beautiful white ‘raat ki rani’, spread across the garden, in full bloom.

These are all recollections of my summer memories,

I am scared missy would have a different experience than this.

The times have changed, and I pray they change again,

Before she grows up, I want to live it all with her,

Once again!

Rough Patch

My world came crashing down again

I realised once again I was betrayed

How, I didn’t know.

Why I had a faint idea.

I can’t afford to be a know it all,

The ball isn’t anymore in my court

I have been let down and I wish I could let them down,

The cycle still incomplete

I am stuck at the turnaround.

Move it, I screamed,

inside my head.

Move on, I cried,

Determined inside.

“You’re better than that, you always were”,

The forlorn heart tries to help.

But the lies too sharp

Gnawed at my heart

I was stuck, the limbs felt numb,

The reality harsh,

It really hurt.

I had met the sayers,

But the doers were dead…

They said something and did something else instead,

I understood conspiracies,

Once after they were hatched,

As I sat, all by myself.

Finally I started to solve the puzzle,

Every piece that fit,

Left me a tad more bewildered.

I understood the lies stacked,

And the people involved,

I could count them on my fingers before,

I eventually moved on,

I wouldn’t forget them or what they had done,

I will keep them in my memory,

Till their deeds come undone.

And when finally we meet,

I will look through them,

Like they never were a part of my realm.