Fresh And Stale

When we were boys

And money was less

Used to take out radish from soil

And eat them fresh.

Mother used to churn milk

And get butter out of it

With hot fried paranthas

It was like a treat.

Now amul makhan kept in fridge

With vegetables all

Children may say it's tasty

But it's stale, we used to call.

When it rained too heavy

Pakodas fried by the maid

Fresh mint leaves plucked

And chutney was made.

Now mccain tikki is in freezer

It's stale, forget the cost

A bottle served with this

It is the maggi sauce.

Cold drinks is now a fashion

We used to drink lassi

Kept for month in transit

In hours we called it khatti.

Water coming in plastic bottles

How fresh, everyone knows

We used to take it from handpump

How healthy were days those.

We used to collect milk

Fresh from house of milkman

Now it comes processed in packets

From far off places in a van.

Used to pluck mangoes and dates

In their season and eat them there

Now they are kept in cold storage

Available in every season, everywhere.

Mother used to give me

Fresh fruit juice everyday

Now children don't like this

Give us fruity, they just say.

I have seen two generations

And this is their tale

Even the definition has changed

What is fresh? And what is stale?.