JAGGERY
It
was my childhood wildness,
Uncontrolled
mind in mischief,
Slipped
out of the home play at fields,
A
group of boys ran for sugar cane,
Long
stems leafy fields near village,
Beneath
a cauldron, firewood burning,
Juices
of sugarcane boiling hot,
Brown
thick liquids decanted into a pot,
Iron
flatbed pot getting full condensed,
Peasants
were preparing molasses,
Pour
into flat-bottom iron pots in rows,
Jaggery
prepared from molasses solid,
Beg
for small pieces return home,
Farmers
smiling offer us handfuls,
Remember
I share with my sister,
She
was the eldest child of our parents,
Ten
years older than me, loving,
I
was in school, she attended college,
Our
friendship was closest, bond sweet,
I
was loving and obeyed her only,
Hoodwinked
mom, feared dad,
Sister
was my home teacher best,
Taught
my homework on the table,
I
shared jaggery pieces she stored,
Answered
correctly, jaggery piece, bonus,
My
good result was due to her effort,
She
washed my clothes, ironed,
Polished
my boots every day,
Combed
my hair notebook in my bag,
In
order arranged with book n pen,
Pencil
pointed, rubber, geometry box,
I
passed first division in school,
Sister
gave me a jaggery piece saved,
Parents
never could know our secret,
I
joined the college, walked together,
Sister
was helping mom with cooking,
Washing
dad's dress was ironing,
She
was keeping house expenses,
With
dad marketed for vegetables,
Purchased
monthly groceries, listing,
Less
knew she was managing our home,
Apple
eyes of Dad, mom depending,
She
was pivotal in our life, caring,
Her
immaculate attention to all,
Served
Dad when sick his medicine,
She
was our doctor, nurse, watchful,
Consult
with a doctor to buy medicine,
Parents
handed over responsibility,
Bed
news one day I heard, surprised,
Sister
was crying silently alone,
Astonished,
never saw her crying,
I
hugged her tightly and enquired,
I
sobbed, and she closed my mouth,
Confided
with me she was marrying,
The parent fixed her marriage date,
Without
consulting her chosen bridegroom,
An
engineer abroad dad finalized,
She
cherished the day, her degree,
Expecting
gold medal best graduate,
Her
dream was to be an administrator,
Decades
after we both kept our bond,
Secret
her agony cherished dream,
I
fulfilled her wish, became one,
From
overseas got a packet of jaggery,
A
daughter for dad kept him happy.
@
Bijayananda Mishra
