Everything Else Is Rubble

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The administrative office in front of the main building. In this age of endless information, I sometimes pause and realize something strange. I am drowning in information, but starving for memories. Every day, my mind absorbs hundreds of headlines, messages, videos, opinions, and notifications. Most of them vanish without a trace. Yet when I stop for a moment, memories from forty years ago return with astonishing clarity. Today, for some reason, my thoughts wandered back to my school and its teachers. I remember my kindergarten teacher, Ms. Carol at Little Angels. She was Anglo-Indian, impeccably dressed, and absolutely determined that every letter I wrote should sit neatly within the four lines of my notebook. Not touching the ceiling. Not falling through the floor. Perfectly contained. I don't remember what I had for lunch three days ago. But I remember those four lines. My first-grade teacher, Ms. Alice at BP Indian Public School, was...

She...

A beautiful sunny day in the offing,
How could I not enter the forests,
She tagged along with me slowly,
A comfort to have her with me

The days gradually progressed,
I found not a soul in sight,
It was a sojourn always tricky,
But there she was to keep me chirpy

Tough to find your way through
Creepy creepers all over you,
I could sense the trickles of blood,
She was there to keep me good

Berries and cherries in my belly,
Nothing else to gloat over fully,
She was the perfect cushion
For the rest of my meal

A moment of tiredness fell,
I pushed along heavily,
Again, I fell back to her,
She was there to fill the void

A long time later, I realised,
She was slowly leaving me,
The sick feeling was getting to me,
Now, it was just a matter of time

Finally, I was really alone,
I was feeling the heat,
It was the point of agony,
How I wish there was more water!

Comments

  1. Water....this reminds of a line someone wrote when I was in school about floods--"Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink"

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  2. Anonymous: True, any trek, and all I think about is water!!!!

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  3. A post that anyone and everyone can identify with.

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  4. Interesting!
    That's a wonderful word. It leaves the reader thinking what he wants to hear. Yes, but surely something one can relate to :-) Water----more so after today for you anyway.....!

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  5. Pavan: Water, water and water!!! Ooooooh man :-) Unforgettable :-)

    Shubhika: Thanks!!!

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  6. Very nice you can visit my website for more collections

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