Renu Gupta
For My Granddaughter
Three years
ago, she was a kid…
Delighting
at the sights of colours around,
Enjoying the
rhymes of CocoMelon and Pogo,
Playing with
me “I spy with my little eyes...”,
Showcasing
tricks with her toy magic box.
Today, she
is, as she says "two digits old".
Leaving her
earlier pranks behind, she loves now to…
Bind over
family chats and games,
Coach me to
hip-hop, and swim in the pool,
Guide me to
breathe in calm and joy,
Teach me to
defend the choices made.
She fills my
heart with joyful pride at my learning new ways and living my childhood once
again!!!
Recollecting and Reliving Childhood at Sixty-two
Traveling
back to my childhood in 1960s, I watch myself...
Reading Chanda mama, Champak in the company of friends in the children's library
Watching
much awaited Chitrahaar and weekly
film on the Black and white TV
Playing Stapu, pithu garam and hide n seek in the evening street
Rushing to
the rooftop to watch a flying plane against the distant sky
Gulping down
mangoes, rajmah chawal with glassfuls
of chaati ki lassi
Giggling
around in the jovial company of cousins during summer vacations.
Much water
has flowed through the Ganga since then, and now in 2020s my grandkids...
Enjoy more
the virtual world of CocoMelon and Miraculous
Relish more
the pizzas, burgers and brownies
Play and
frolic more within walls of the home!!
But, then the Ganga keeps on flowing... ...
Bio Note: Dr Renu Gupta
Dr.
Renu Gupta is a retired Associate Professor from the
Postgraduate Department of English, DAV College, Jalandhar (India). With a
PhD on the novels of Namita Gokhale with reference to Body Studies, she
takes interest in immigrant studies and Indian epics. She has to her
credit several research articles, book reviews, and poems in
journals/anthologies of repute, and presentations in conferences and
workshops in India/abroad. A founder member and General Secretary of LITSPARK
(a literary forum), she is also active in community welfare activities related
to women and children. (gupta60.renu@gmail.com)
