A walk down memory flower patch
a big wet nose
wagging tail and paws
the 5 am drill
every morning draws
sleepy sparrows welcome
a buttery sunrise
that leaves dew on the grass
and paints icy-blue skies
there’s traffic that hums
with the koyals in rhyme
the shirts strain the clothesline
already sagged with time
go picking for hibiscus
for the puja thal
stop to watch the butterflies,
their colors enthrall
a slow, lazy breeze
warmed by the day
combs the Ashoka branches
and stops to play
the drag of plastic chairs
and clinks from cups
pour steaming hot chai
unwind, catch up.
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throw the ball really far
dunk biscuit and sip
watch the birds fly home
and the doggie slip
switch the tube light on
see the shadows come to life
as the lizards scurry up
to catch the mayflies rife
the grass gets crunchy
the flowers sleep
the air turns cool
and the lost toads weep
think of seasons gone
and how the dahlias grew
and the marigolds in the shaadi
and how time flew
i shall come peek at you
each time i pass by
relive years in seconds, dear garden -
until then, goodbye.
I wrote this when we were moving out of a house in Jamshedpur that was very dear to me. I was especially sad to be leaving behind a garden that I now imagine was a giant gentle being hugging our home tight to keep us safe.
It was a miniature forest. We had stout old trees and tender flowering plants and even a vegetable patch that my dogs would not infrequently dive into in hopes of finding a crunchy, edible ball. But let’s be honest, everything is edible to them.
Between us and the domestic workers, we’ve had dogs, cats, rabbits, a goat, three roosters, stray kittens, and the occasional calf sleep on the grass. The garden itself sometimes housed slumbering snakes that didn’t want to bother anyone, toads- some of which would make their way into my safety shoes left in the verandah when it rained- and an entire universe of critters and insects chirping and gurgling and spitting as we settled into bed each night.
It was glorious, but as it is with everything in life, I realise what I had now that I don’t anymore. Ah well.
