Liesure

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

Henry Davies


Here is a version written by Amma about and for my litte kitten - Mowgli !

He lives his life, without a care,
He has no time to stand and stare.

Why stand and stare when he can run
To sit is dull, to jump is fun.

Trees to climb and butterflies to chase
Woods are an adventure filled place.

Splashing in streams, such a delight,
Stars can wait until it's night.

My idea of beauty, a different kind
He is dirty, muddy and spunky, I find.

The innocence that his smile belies,
Betrayed by the mischief that shines in his eyes.

A poor life indeed so full of care
that you have to but, just stand and stare !!!

Bedtime stories

"No, This !" you point to amma and appas bed when asked if you would like to sleep with Effy and Fishies on your own bed. A couple of months ago you would hug effy and sleep. Amma, the first few days, missed you so much that in the wee hours of the morning would slowly crawl into your bed and try and snuggle with you and you would kick her out. Back from India and back from sickeness, you are now reluctant to go back to effy and fishies. And so we begin the process of shifting you into your own bed all over again.

Our bedtime routine starts with saying good night and good bye to everything. I mean everything. Bye blue and bye truck and bye *roar* bye *meow* bye door bye appa bye tatha bye stars bye choo choo bye blocks..nonstop till we reach our room. Then Amma religiously asks him every day "Shall we sleep with effy and fishies Mowgli" These days he says "No, This" pointing to our bed. Into bed and Mowgli picks out a few books from the stack on my bedside. It is pretty much the same 3 everynight. The truck book, the book of things for boys ( its has rockets too), and occasionally The very hungry Caterpillar or the Goodnight Moon book. Amma religiously every day suggests a different book only to hear "No, All done, This" pointing to the trucks. Then the lights go off and if we are lucky there is no fuss. Amma then sings him songs. Amma religiously starts with a new song only to be cut off with a "No, lalala..". In about 30 minutes.. amma is fast asleep. Sometimes Mowgli too.

All said and done , these days it is my favourite time of the day. When Mowgli has me all for himself and I have him all for me :) !

Years from today, Mowgli, you wont remember any of this. But Amma will. So you should know how much I love this and you do too, I write. My kitten !

World of Colours

Mowgli talks to colours,
and they talk back to him.
Hello Blue, he says
With a huge wide grin.

Purple is his favourite,
Not so much the Red.
Bye Bye Yellow he says,
On his way to bed.

Orange is a strange one,
It is a colour and a fruit,
Sometimes he eats it, sometimes he feeds it,
Depending on his mood.

Green is special,
Because it stands for "GO".
Ask him about Black,
All you will get is an emphatic "NO" !

Colours love him too,
Especially the Pink,
She must find him adorable
and he knows that I think.

Life, my dearest kitten,
is full of different colours you know.
I hope yours comes together,
to make a big beautiful rainbow !

_ Ammma

For MOwgli @ 19 months. Just back from his "Chikki's" wedding and playing with "More Chikki's" and "More OOOs" and full of words that he is piecing together in his head. He loves talking to colours as much as he likes talking to the objects. He feeds them, takes them for rides in his stroller and says Good night to them. He has a world of friends unadultrated by knowledge and understanding. This poem in an ode to that pristine world of yours Mowgli.