Gluttony:The Hunger Games ?Day dreams!
Mary Annie
I want to be a child once again.
Run into the arms of my mom
hide behind her sari
and see the world
from behind.
Climb up on dad’s shoulders
and see the world from atop.
The world was
what was in and around
the brick house.
The roses
the jasmines
the royal lillies
the raja mallis
the sun flowers
in all their glory adorning
the garden neat.
The blue sky
peaking the tiles
the sun in the far out distance
the coconut palms waving
the crows cawing
the mynahs twittering
the occasional cooh..ing
of the cuckoos
the resonant booms of the ooppans.
I remember:
The crow’s fallen nest
the blue spotted eggs
broken and weeping through the pores.
The red spinach grown in the backyard
the ripe tomatoes
the bitter gourds
the brinjals.
The papaya tree
laden with fruits in the corner!
The logs piled up neatly
the smoke from the chimneys curling
the smells of mom’s cooking.
The lizards running around
the cockroaches hurrying too
in and out of book shelves
leading easy lives.
Earthworms coming out of muddy mounds
scorpions falling from the roof
centipedes making me scream
climb up on the chairs.
The butterflies variously colored
I see them not any more.
The millipedes too lined with gold
the red ones
the black giant ones
moving on their pedes
in the black back yard.
The snails and the slugs
leaving trails on walls
glittering sliver hues.
Hens and the chickens running around
living on termites and worms.
An occasional army of red ants
moving with purpose and aim.
In the night my world was secure
the warmth of mom
the light the shadows
through the chinks of the tiles.
I want to be a child again
waft around not really bothering
in a small tiled house
filled with laughter
to laze on the cot reading
listen to music from the radio
sleep to Bible tales.
I want to be a child
all over again
running around flippant and free
I want to be a child again
innocent and full of glee
in the small tiled house
with the bathroom at the far end.
Dad mom
my brothers and me!
