Summertime it was in the small block town
Far far away from the bustling cities
Inhabited by paddy field owners and peasants
A few humdrum shops selling daily necessities
The milkman "Kishori" announced one fine morn
The marriage of his son to a teenaged girl
From a nearby village Kishori came to sell milk
He was scrawny clad in a vest and "dhoti"
Kishori loved to smoke "beedis" and drink tea
Was poor,yes poor indeed but with a golden heart
Please do come Saheb to my village next Sunday
Someone will come to pick you up in the evening
Gingerly I accepted his kind,loving invitation
No invitation card! no fanfare! Just an ardent plea
I bought a colourful saree for the new bride
Somehow I didn't have the will to dress up well
I donned my usual office dress and was on my way
There was no electricity in Kishoris house
The sun had set,kerosene lamps were lit by the dozen
The mud house was decorated with coloured paper wreaths
As I arrived I was served sugar-lemon syrup with ice
The smile and grin on Kishori's face was angelic !
An hour later about a dozen "baratis" marched away
to the brides home a couple of miles down
On arrival our feet were washed with cool water
Pretty plump buxom ladies in sarees waited on us
We were served sweets and cold "sherbet" in tumblers
It was a humble inexpensive marriage but hearty
Love oozed through the house's mud walls-then dinner
Tasty fare of "Pulao",fried egg-plant,"dal" and chicken
Followed by sour watery "dahi" and "motichur laddoo"
As I lay down post-dinner on the mud floor on a "shatranchi"
I wondered how happy these people are with so little!
Memory of that marriage is etched in my mind forever
©bishu
What a wonderfull
What a wonderfull tale/recollections, of Indian wedding culture. The warmth of your poem brings to life the wedding and the love of the couple and people involved in the wedding. Well done on a really heart warming poem you created.
http://www.postpoems.org/authours/a.griffiths57
Thank you ever so much Respected Madam Anita
Thank you ever so much Respected Madam Anita.Be well.Be happy.
©bishu