Thirty summers ago

#NaPoWriMo #napowrimo2021

The last bell has rung and my exams are done!

I jump from my desk to catch the rickshaw home.

Our bags are packed and my grandpa is ready,

To usher me to my tiny village on the banks of mighty Debi.

The wait at the bus stop seems never ending,

Alas! The colourful bus is no where to be seen.

Grandpa buys me candyfloss and a chocolate bar,

But, I have my hand stuck in the shop's cookie jar.

We hear a cacophony and all the anxious faces smile,

As our ride screeches to a halt on the sound of whistle in style.

We enjoy a bumpy ride in the rickety old bus,

Journey two hours long and all the fuss.

We reach the banks of Debi late at night,

Behold! Her glistening beauty in the full moon night.

The boatman picks up the oar and gives a final call,

But, I have picked up my spot and 'm ready to roll.

Reaching the bank, I hop onto grandpa's back,

We walk through tall bamboo trees and a sandy track.

The trees are bowing down and swaying in the breeze.

Well, they are dancing! They have a guest to please.

I spot a silhouette and a flickering light across the sand,

That's my aunt waiting on the doorstep with a lamp in hand.

My heart beats faster thinking of the adventures in store,

Time is never enough here and I want a tad bit more.

I spend each day discovering something new,

But, the vacation seems short and days so few.

Vacation is over and its the day of return.

I want the time to pause and sob alone.

I have hope that I 'll be back next summer.

With a bag full of memories, we cross the river.

Thirty summers have passed and

my grandpa is long gone,

His memories and the summers on Debi are fresh as day one.

#napowrimo2021 Day 3 Theme- Dedicate This poem is an ode to my childhood summer vacations with my grandpa at my tiny village on the banks of the river Debi, a major distributary of the river Mahanadi. The summers have long gone but I have lived a lifetime in those.