Lolly to Lalita

Sitting lonely today,
I peeped into my teens.
How far I came – the realization dawn on me.
Oh … those were the golden days,
I was just me and no one else.

Running aimlessly in the corn field,
As if to discover new land of butterflies.
Throwing stones in the pond’s water to create ripples,
To find golden reflection of the sun shining to blind.

Those flowers and leaves,
Blue, red, yellow and green,
Used to pick them to preserve forever.
Still I can smell the fragrance in my old dusty thick college books.

Village fair used to bring pleasure,
Loved to be allured by the charm of the stalls.
Glittering bangles, earrings, tops, lipsticks and what not,
So to count my pennies to buy them all.

No pretension to be 'Lalita',
When I was adored as 'Lolly'.
What were envy, greed and lust,T
hose words were unfamiliar to me.

Window seat of the train was so important,
Used to fight with my brother for it.
Just to count stations, enjoy breeze and fall asleep.
Making faces to strangers was not vulgarity then.

Suddenly A day I become 'Lalita'.
Buried 'Lolly' in the backyard of my house.
Donated my exhilarations to the running stream,
To seek asylum in the courtyard of my so called man.
Now freedom is mock to me and joy is farce.

Sitting lonely today,
I peeped into my teens.