THOSE HALCYON DAYS




THOSE HALCYON DAYS

As I sit in my garden today
And see an array 
Of blooming flowers
Beautifully aligned and untouched
Familiar but unfriendly
Sway with the passing breeze
And gently tease
My senses  
As if to say 
Hey!
You once knew me better
O lady in the sweater
What happened to you
Why did you choose to eschew
The bond we once knew, so well
Hell!
The child in me wants to leap out
Leap out and pluck them
Smell and scatter them
Without worry or care
In spite of mom’s hollering
Or the gardener’s livid stare
O where are those halcyon days
I ask my adult self
Ruminating in the chair!

As I lie in my bedroom today
And stare
At the bare walls
That surround me
Do they protect or hound me
I ask
These structures of ivory white
That shimmer blue in the moonlight
And smite my senses  
As if to say
Hey!
You once knew me better
O lady in those fetters
What happened to you
Why did you choose to eschew
The bond we once knew so well
Hell!
The kid in me wants to leap out
Leap out and scribble on them
Draw dragons and tangled stems
From my box of broken crayons
Once pawns
In my puny Picasso hands
In spite of dad’s admonishments
Or granny’s ashy glare
O where are those halcyon days
I ask my adult self
Lying in dismay!


As I amble on the road today
So carefully on the sidewalk
And away
From all the potholes
Those wonderful bowls 
Of pure abandon
That in their gaping glory
Would beckon me
To come and play
Today fray my senses
As if to say
Hey!
You once knew me better
O lady, life’s debtor
What happened to you
Why did you choose to eschew
The bond we once knew so well
Hell!
The girl in me wants to leap out
Leap out into that muddy well
To hop, skip, jump and dwell
In my imaginary moat
And set sail my fleet of paper boats
In spite of my sister's censure
Or the prude neighbour's glare
O where are those halcyon days
I seem to ask my adult self
Nowadays 
And always!

                     - Priti Singh 

                


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE SEA SEES ME

Image
THE SEA SEES ME   As I sit by the shore Waves come, waves go Like a rhythmic pulse They heave and convulse As a tangerine sun Completes a home run And begins its descent Looking tired and spent Into the calm embrace Of a slumbering sea That I see! A warmth engulfs Relaxing my pulse While the saline scent In the breeze present Leaves a hint on my lips As some cargo ships Hit the line of horizon In tandem with the sun Retiring for the day Painting everything grey Like a perfect screenplay! I sigh in wonderment At this diurnal event That I’ve seen so often Yet my eyes soften As I rise to my feet Dusting sand from my pleats And see faceless silhouettes Float past as vignettes A seagull follows My footprints hollow And a wave beckons! I stop and I see The cradling of the sea Tumultuous yet calm A sublime scenic balm Mirror to my soul Shattered, yet whole Almost say to me There’s no master key
Read more

WOH BACHPAN KI GALI

Image
वो बचपन की गली वो ईंटों से बिछा हुआ लाल रस्ता एक साइकल पे लदा कैन्वस का बस्ता अंगीठियों से उठता कोयले का धुआँ पीपल के नीचे वो छोटा सा कुआँ रुई की धुनाई की वो टन-टन आवाज़ रेडियो पर छिड़ता कोई फ़िल्मी साज़ वो हर एक लम्हा , आज भी आबाद है वो बचपन की गली , मुझे अब भी याद है II वो छतों से उड़तीं पतंगें हज़ार वो खिलोनों के ठेले , वो चलते बाज़ार वो लट्टू , वो कंचे , वो गिल्ली और डंडा वो मक्खन सफ़ेद , डबल रोटी और अंडा वो चिट्ठी के डिब्बे और डाकिये की घंटी वो पड़ोसी का बेटा और पतली सी संटी वो लड़का , अफ़सोस , आज भी बर्बाद है वो बचपन की गली , मुझे अब भी याद है II पुराने कपड़ों से होता बर्तन का व्यापार वो मूँगदाल की बड़ियाँ , वो पापड़ अचार एक काला सा फ़ोन , जो सबका था यार वो ट्रंक कौल के दिन और बुलावे हज़ार हम लोग , रामायण ,  नुक्कड , चित्रहार जब चैनल था एक , एकजुट परिवार वो दिन वापस आएँ , बस यही फ़रियाद है वो बचपन की गली , मुझे अब भी याद है II चारपाइयों पे रोज़ लगती मच्छरदानी उन सूती महलों में नानी की कहान
Read more

MY BOOK - "The Islands and Tribes of Andaman and Nicobar"

Image
Photo credits @Priti Singh Defogging the islands  Author Priti Singh tells NANDINI NAIR that "The Islands and Tribes of Andaman and Nicobar" clears popular misconceptions about the archipelago. "I wanted to defog mindsets. People view them with much trepidation." It's a coffee table book but meant to be seen and read. Priti Singh's "The Islands and Tribes of Andaman and Nicobar,"published by Prakash Books, and dedicated to the people of the islands, is an appreciation of their resilience and hope. Initially apprehensive about her husband's transfer, she ended up discovering and loving the islands. Having grown up in Zambia, she says, "The germ (for the outdoors) was laid there." Of the 300-odd islands she says fondly, "They have a siesta like atmosphere. It's a place that prefers to trot rather than gallop." In a relaxed mood, Singh describes her motive, "I wanted to defog mindsets. Many people view t
Read more