School Memories

Born on the bank my school Bathed in cool breeze of river Varaha Fanned cool by coconut groves around Blessing inside the premises A seasoned Exam-Pillaiyar Commencement of assembly my voice to lead Followed by the rest in increased volume Prayer songs dispersing the air Penned the pupils in respective classes Class-rooms old and new and mine Holding a Badam tree at its feet Clothed full of caterpillars And they creeping inside bit me for a year Anyway to the bitten me Flapped colourful wings my teachers To fly up to catch the Rainbow SHARADHA Flowed flooded river between home and school Sharadha though otherwise calm then a gullible fool Bridge was a round about way Hasty Sharadha got drowned in great dismay Pupils assembled for prayer Then heard a screaming from the river Sharadha's! Sent at once the school the peon Was Sharadha rescued from a mile on A lesson for everybody Ashamed Sharadha unable to look at anybody Needn't have happened to a soft Sharadha Shy and shivery was the real Sharadha 'Came late for the exam' was her fear So did she get into the river Unwilling the bridge-way chose the river-way Wisdom then failed anyway Hasty ventures may better be averted Else may better be alerted Rosy memories are sometimes thorny Like Sharadha at times twinging me