Birthdays,
Stealthy reminders
Of celebrations gone by
The places and the people
Colourful shadows linger
Little rituals have run off
Like streams gone dry
Yet their absence knocks
The door opens somewhere in the woods
A hot summer morning
A crow pheasant hides
till its ruby red eyes give it away
Grandfather always knew where to find it
First thing this morning
for luck, I see it as it flies away
Impatient I rush back
For a red new frock awaits.
Mother and father bought it
Before the holidays began.
Brothers were scheming yesterday
Last year they got me earrings
Without mother’s help. I showed it off for days
Till the gold plating wore out.
I will eat my lunch in the silver plate
The kheer in a silver bowl
There will be mangoes plenty.
I had always complained
That playmates and classmates were away
On their vacations for another ten days.
I was away too, a day and two train changes away.
Someone travelled seventeen hours by bus
To be with me on this day. Twenty years ago.
Today he flies to be here. A ritual.
Wishes pour now, cell phone buzzes away,
Alerts ping on facebook and on twitter all day.
The clock strikes twelve.
That voice in my head I will replay
that wished me sharp at midnight each year
as always, year after year
Whose card always arrived on time
As if he had a secret pact with the postman
I will imagine the crow pheasant
and its ruby red eyes.
The clock is now reset
Mother’s kheer would be ready by noon.
Even if in another city.
Let the celebrations begin.
Ephemeral Memories 