Of Familiar Bonds...

An open verandah is a thing of luxury -

In a world of square feet zones,

Though fewer lazy afternoons –

Are spent upon that porch.

 

I leaned back in the cane chair

Gazing at the street in front,

A gentle breeze upon my face

And I lost myself in thoughts.

 

“Hey Sister…want a chakari?”

A small voice broke the quiet,

A little boy stood on the pavement

With eagerness in his eyes.

 

A slight smile upon his lips,

Bright pinwheels in his hands,

I felt a tug at my heart

Seeing the gentle face.

 

I asked, “Those are for children, aren’t they?

We don’t have any here.”

Smiling broadly he replied,

“The wind is for everyone out there.”

 

I laughed and called him onto the porch

He came and sat on the stairs,

I asked for ten chakaris and added,

“Ones with the brightest colours.”

 

He said, “Take a few with yellow and red,

Then you have blue, white and pink,

You shall love purple and yellow too,

And the ones with red and green.”

 

I took the slender bamboo frames

Paperwheels whirling in the breeze,

“These are beautiful!” I said.

And he gave me a toothy grin.

 

 As he rose to leave I queried,

“Whole day you go around like this?”

“I do other things too.” He answered,

“A newspaper boy in the mornings.”

 

He stepped out into the street

Then waved at me and smiled,

I kept waving back at my little friend

As he disappeared from my sight.