A Day In My Village Poem by Prafulla Kumar Panda

A Day In My Village

With a mind of a newly-wed man, I wish to go to my village soon
and share my joys with her who waits like a bride fully adorn
with blossoms of henna, jasmine and kanchan in the new morn

i'll bask in the crimson sun that, at cock's crow, gleefully rises between tall palms
to heal the pangs of my long separation from her like a soothing balm
and prepare myself to sit in the temple aisle and chant 'Hare Krishna, Hare Rama'

i'll follow Nidhi Mausa to where he sweats himself to plough his land
and listen to him singing ballads to enthuse his weary bullocks till the end
and eat berries and swing in the swings of the banyan to mark my bond
and on return, I'll splash and swim after the minnows in my country pond

in the afternoon, with a child's heart I'll sneak into the kids' puppet-show
and laugh heartily with them for hours sitting in the front row
also score runs in the crease with my country-make bat and ball
and at dusk, return home amid bleating goats to sleep to my granny's fairy tale.

©Prafulla Kr. Panda, India.
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