In a Facebook literary group, a friend Sundar Rajan posted this picture. He sought poems from members based on the picture. This is what I came up with ..
"Tell us about your first love Grandpa! "
teased the children sitting in circle around him
normally he wouldn't get them like this
now with forced holidays and plenty of time
they had gotten close to him since last two months ..
" I will tell you about the last meeting
with my first and only love" said grandpa
In the late seventies, no smart phone or computer chats
It wasn't easy for us to meet either
had to be done clandestinely
yet, we met a few times,
Lalbhagh our favourite rendezvous
Then my dad came to know and all hell was loose
said the fruition of relationship only over his dead body!
So there I was going to Lalabhagh
to bid goodbye to her for one last time!
with tears in my eye I watched as she approached
lady in pink with her usual glowing smile!
How would I break this to her?
what would it do to her, to me.? ...
Then it happened! we saw it together, she beside me
on the lovely fountain waters flashed
the seven colours of a rainbow!
Never had I seen such a sight
it was always up in the sky, never down below
The beautiful colours warmed my heart
sending me into a tizzy, an elated high
I squeezed gently her sweet little hand
it was as if the heavens had spoken
given thumbs up signal to our perfect match!
"So I married, my father also survived
and today you get to call my first love,
my only love your grandma! "
Excited children squealed in delight,
ran to fetch grandma to join in
in the fun, frolic, jubilation...
