After ages, my childhood –its losing, crossed my mind
For a spin-top, in mud-wallowing, crossed my mind
Father’s hoisting me about on his shoulder, I still remember
Mother’s lulling me, in her lap, to drowsing, crossed my mind
Feeding me a fistful of sugar by the aunt, how can I forget?
A meal in my trousers’ upturn, covertly hiding, crossed my mind
Spoiling of every new dress is still alive in my eyes
On my impishness, how I would invite beating, crossed my mind
In those potholes playing mud-game, I do recollect the day
And hurting my behind while sliding, crossed my mind
Cycling that rubber-tyre –its vision so fresh in my mind
On that wooden sledge, that skidding and slipping, crossed my mind
Setting off, early morning, bare feet, with a bat on my shoulders
Getting my nose swatted by a ball, and the match-losing, crossed my mind
How my family beat me black and blue when hit by the billet!
And then my aunt, a muffin to my offering, crossed my mind
Fondly adding salt to Kehwe and that secret puerile feasting
That clay-made parrot by my side sleeping, crossed my mind
Breaching the queue, excitedly prowling on oblation crucible
And the stuff in my flare by me mouthing, crossed my mind
With a bag and a few sticks, setting off for scavenging
The apricots from the unharvested tree, by me collecting, crossed my mind
In the fields, munching the mud-smeared sweet-roots
Chomping down the bulbs, and tongue’s thumping, crossed my mind
Looking for the hornet’s hive and pelting stones at it
Getting my body stung, and tears from eyes streaming, crossed my mind
Leaving early for the groves of willow in search of a nightingale
To listen to the songs of the loreal, my following, crossed my mind
Ambling about the paddy nursery, and watching the chorus of swallows
And the cuckoo’s nests, in paddy fields, by me hunting, crossed my mind
Seeking after the crakes’ eggs in marsh grass in the evenings
Through waters after those chicks, my chasing, crossed my mind
How can I recount my fears about going to school!
Soon after morning tea, of belly pain complaining, crossed my mind
Filling the inkpot with clay and looking for the reed-pen
To shine up my wooden slate, the china-cup using, crossed my mind
How I was treated with nettle once I forgot to do my slate work
How I jumped into the rill and in muddy water, myself drenching, crossed my mind
Playing hide and seek those afternoons with uniform still clad
And braving the bashing in school the next morning, crossed my mind
Snowball fighting and wearing clothes to snowman
With shovels from the rooftops snow clearing, crossed my mind
Keeping the marbles in the pouch, treasuring them more than life
Digging ring holes in the ice, and the taw with the thumb, flicking, crossed my mind
Inviting cold by sucking chill out of the lumps of ice
Eating icicles, then loudly coughing, crossed my mind
The trousers that my uncle bought me so proudly once
In the Kanger, of its upholds, burning, crossed my mind
The folk theatrics, the antics of the clowns –who shall forget!
And to the Ladeeshah, on his arrival, my scuttling, crossed my mind
How at the Urs of Zain Shah, my shoes were stolen away
In the fair at Yejbyor, getting lost while merrymaking, crossed my mind
Distributing walnuts on Shivratri festivals by Pandit children
And, on this pretext, with them, friends making, crossed my mind
Throwing tantrums, O’ Shifa, for earning eidie on Eid
And then to the shopkeepers every penny squandering, crossed my mind
Translated by Nazir Ahmad Wani, who is working as Lecturer in the Department of Education, J&K
