How can anyone forget this?

Tell me,

who are grandparents?

asked the class teacher

d' 7-yr-old stared at d' roof,

thought for a while to answer

Grandparents?...okay…

a lady and an old man,

have no little kids of their own,

always love other people's children

They live at the airport,

from where we pick them up

later have to drop them back too,

when they wish to push up

A juvenile retort of d' sinless face,

delighted the class teacher

felt amused to ask her again,

you'll elaborate it a li'l more

A grandfather is an old man,

and a grandmother, a lady!

she loves to shop at Forum mall,

to join her, Grandpa ever ready

They're always old people, it's good,

they get lollipops and French fries

lift my baby sister from d' cradle,

if she gets up from sleep and cries 

When they take us for walks,

they are always slow movers

They talk to us about God,

say no bad words, like my brother

Grandpa drinks tea in d' morning,

puts on glasses read d' newspaper

with long strings dangling down,

wears such funny underwear

If I don't listen to mommy,

rebut her, too much bother

granny tells amazing stories,

she d' greatest story-teller,

and the best hugger

 

Grandparents are smart,

we annoy, yet they don't bother

everybody should try to have,

 a grandmother and a grandfather

They ask me-

to share items with friends,    

in the kitchen to help mom

keep away from cell phones,

after online classes are done

They, part of our  life,

say prayers with us and kiss us

if not at home, I always miss,

Grandpa, d' smartest man on earth! 

 how can anyone forget this?

Let it decide your conduct and action

The rugged account of her life,

d' young lady vividly narrated

how things were hard for her,

to mom, she warily stated 

How going to make it, no idea

with life how to cope up?

tired of fighting, struggling,

eventually wanted to give up 

If a problem seems solved,

a fresh one ready to pop up

always d' life is trouble loaded,

distresses unending, non-stop

Mom hauled her to d' kitchen,

and filled three pots with water

 placed each on a high fire,

came to a boil in d' container

In 1st put a few chopped carrots,

some eggs in the 2nd container

in d' last put ground coffee beans,

till brought to a boil, waited there 

In 20 mins turned off d' burners

fished out carrots, kept in a bowl

pulled eggs out, placed on a plate

ladled coffee out into a tumbler 

Asked flatly to tell, what do I see?

I replied, eggs, coffee, and carrots

come close, feel d' carrot pieces,

wearily I felt, noted they were soft

Take an egg, crack, pull off d' shell,

tell me, after palpating it with care

I felt the boiled egg to be hard,

next to sip d' coffee in d' tumbler

She cheerily smiled,  rich aroma

of d' steaming coffee she inhaled

but totally unclear of those acts,

what do they mean she enquired 

Mom smiled a bit, then explained

each had faced d' same adversity

unendurable heat of boiling water

but reacted diversely, no similarity 

The stiff and unrelenting carrots,

as subjected to d' boiling water

got softened and turned weak,

as on hot pan d' melting butter

 D'eggs with a fragile outer shell

and a delicate liquid interior

bit by bit coagulated, solidified,

put through the boiling water

 

D' ground coffee beans, unique,

boiled to alter d' quality of water

if adversity knocks on your door,

tobe which one you would prefer 

Act promptly but unlike d' carrot,

wilt swiftly, even if, seem strong

turn soft soon, lose d' strength

can't be rational, evidently wrong 

Nor a flexible heart as d' egg stuff,

that stiffens on facing hardship

a death, breakup/a cash crunch,

loss of job, shattered friendship

Be beans, turn d' ambiance finer,

let go of d'  fragrance and flavor

get pounded, crushed, grounded,

boiled, bubbled but to turn better 

Elevate yourself to another level,

behave better in d' worst situation

d' element, you made up of, let it

decide your conduct and action

Once you intend to gracefully give

 

Won the Oscar Award four times,

to receive it, she had never gone

she, the great Hollywood actress,

most talented Katherine Hepburn

 

Trusted only in love and affection,

d' true fans and her open admirers

enjoyed own acting and d' cinema,

those the greatest reward for her

 

Once stood in a queue for her turn

to buy tickets for d' Circuba circus

with papa ventured to try her luck,

that day in the face of d' great rush

 

An eager teenager that occasion,

excited to see man-animal tricks

to relish d' juggling flings, cyclers

the clowns' caricature, acrobatics

 

Between ticket counter and them,

at that point, only one family left

but d' family made an impression,

since then, she's unable to forget

 

Eight children, along with parents,

all probably under the age of 12

they did not have a lot of money,

seemed the way they got dressed

 

D' children were all well behaved,

their attire looked neat and clean

stood two-by-two behind parents,

hand in hand, they stuck up inline

 

Mother held her husband's hand,

felt proud to be an august fighter

looked up at him as if to declare,

you're my knight in shining armor

 

D' group excitedly jabbering about

the clowns, animals, rope walkers

d' tumbling stunts to be performed,

pleasing pranks by skilled jugglers

 

By their excitement, I sensed, they

never had been to d' circus before

it would be a highlight of their lives

mom-dad, at the head of d' cluster

 

Father was in a jolly mood, smiling

enjoying, seeing his family joyful

an occasion, to be remembered,

a juncture making d' life colorful

 

The ticket lady enquired the man,

the number of tickets he wanted

for eight children and two adults,

recalled and proudly responded

 

The ticket lady stated the price,

d' man's wife let go of his hand

husband's lips began to quiver,

her head dropped, next second

 

Leaned a little closer to d' counter,

how much did you say, he asked?

the lady again muttered d' price,

diligently heard, almost gasped

 

Didn't have much cash in d' pocket

how was he supposed to convey?

unable to think of an apt manner,

event eager kids to get dismayed

 

Seeing what was going on there,

dad reached into his chest pocket

pulled out a $ 50 bill with no delay,

dropped it on the ground straight

 

Dad bent down, picked up the bill,

tapped him on the shoulder, said,

excuse me, dear sir, pl. be heedful,

this one fell out of your back pocket

 

The man understood d' situation,

for a handout, he wasn't begging

yet admired the help in a desolate

desperate time, so embarrassing

 

Looked, straight into my dad's eyes,

took my dad's hand in both of his,

squeezed tightly onto the $50 bill,

tear down his cheek, didn't cease

 

It means a lot to me, and my family

over and over uttered, thank you

his convey of gratitude, unending,

we came to d' car leaving d' queue

 

Dad swiftly gave away d' $50 bill,

at hand for buying our tickets with

we weren't wealthy in any sense,

yet he preferred a congenial path

 

Couldn't enjoy d' circus that night,

but felt tremendous joy inside us

no big deal can ever provide that,

much greater than seeing d' circus

 

Then I learned the value of giving,

A lot in a lifetime, you do achieve

revives in a geometric progression,

once you intend to gracefully give

Ever ablaze, brilliantly colorful

Not treated like a flock of donkeys,

to carry d' pack of books to school

we were for real the blessed kids,

not forced to stick to any rigid rules

 

Put no helmets during cycle rides,

while playing carry no first-aid box

a free bird after the school is over,

no questions asked until the dusk

 

Played hide and seek, football,

and lately tried d' game of cricket

it's only with our bosom buddies,

no games with the online mates

 

Observed d' birds on tree trunks,

feeding eager babies in d' nests

never lock ourselves in a room,

over and over browsing the net

 

Lucky to quench the thirst with

d' cool water from the clay pots

not fanatical for bottled water,

for it certainly no frantic search

 

Hardly fell ill, had juices with pals,

shared food from the same plate

ate bowlfuls of rice, ample sweets

never put on an additional weight

 

Loved to walk barefoot on grass,

in the fields, pastures, in d' park

no chocolate drinks, no add-ons,

to keep healthy, for extra work

 

Our parents, never overly rich,

and after wealth not maniacal

always gave us plenty of love,

no plenty of worldly materials

 

We stayed very close to them

they communicated with us

mobiles, tabs never needed,

no talk in the monosyllables

 

Doctor uncle appears at home

with a smile, no pricks, and no pill

we visit the hospitals less often,

papa, not worried about a fat bill

 

No haphazard sharing of emotions,

no messaging in d' WhatsApp chat

star hotel cuisines never enjoyed,

viewing videos of food making art

 

Hardly hear any feigned mimicry,

see no videos comedy caricature

enjoy comedians performing live,

getting submerged in their humor

 

Face d' truth, listen to conscience,

put down d' emotions in the letter

scarcely go back on d' given words,

bunk no assurance, promise ever

 

Often visit friends house uncalled,

make fun with an off guard friend

no calls to seek their permission,

a surprise, li'l lazy time to spend

 

Relatives, always very close to us,

kept our heart and soul cheerful

no need for insurance policies,

all d' time behaved entirely cool

 

Then the black-n-white photos,

in fact, much more meaningful

stacked as marvelous memories,

ever ablaze, brilliantly colorful