Back into the future

Maid washing clothes; brushes softly.

It must be my father.

That sound of his shoes at the last two steps is his.

He will catch me not studying.

That must be my father.

His almirah opens. He arranges his dress,

Takes out his dhoti and banyan;

That must be my father

Water drooling in the bathroom

To relax his fatigued machine.

A child jumps into a pond. Splash!

It must be my mother frying fish.

Rainy day today; no school, what a welcome to the changing season

Fresh smell…rhythmic rains…

Good…good things are happening in the kitchen.

Back into the future

Pressure cooker whistles to the sound of my mother’s conch.

Pooja at home.

Prasad waits for the owners of slippers waiting outside.

Ma smelling of dhoopdhoona.

Train whistles to take the holdall and us to a faraway place.

Clothes washed and hanging;

Treasures intact; to take the old man

Back into his protective and stable days,

And bring him back again into a changing state;

Back, all the time; into the future!

Note:

1.      Almirah – cupboard;

2.     Dhoti - is a traditional men's garment worn in India. It is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 4.5 metres (15 ft) long, wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist, resembling a long skirt.

3.     Pooja – worship;

4.     Conch – a large spiral shell used before and after pooja;

5.     Prasad – foods and fruits, as offerings to Gods and Goddesses; after the pooja, it is to be consumed by the devotees.

6.     DhoopDhoona -  dhoop (incense stick) and dhoona – a special powder put on coconut skin and burnt to create a good atmosphere for pooja. It is also believed to be good for health, and is used as mosquito repellent.

12 June 2014