The Humble Pumpkin!

Pumpkin day was a bad day for all at home,

We didn’t like that vegetable at all,

I used to make a face at the dining table seeing the dish,

And my bro and sis diligently copied me with it!

 

My mother used to say ‘hiri akkana challi mane mandi gella’, 

That’s a proverb in Kannada, which means,

The younger ones will follow the older sister at home,

So, don’t make a face for others to see, she said!

 

What she meant was, ‘ let them eat at least,

If you don’t want, you don’t eat,

But, stop making that ugly face at the table,

Till the others finish their meal!’

 

My pet dog loves his pumpkin meal so much,

I smash it up with his rice and top it with some chicken,

He relishes his pumpkin meal smacking his tongue,

Seeing this I reminisced about my childhood days!

 

And though when my pet can relish it so much, 

Why not try it out, once at least,

So, I made a pumpkin side dish for lunch,

I was surprised it tasted so good and was yum!

 

It took so many years to realise that pumpkin is good,

And has so many health benefits too,

Thanks to Judo, my pet for this help,

As we relish it like him and reap its benefits as well!