Author Information
Love Bank
A toddler was I once upon a time
In a town named Cuttack-my motherland
My home in Shekh Bazar was by no means grand
The roof leaked in monsoon
Yet my home felt as comfy as a cocoon
Drab,grimy were the rough whitewashed walls
Undulating cement floor was mute witness to many falls
Furniture were plain wooden cots, hard wooden chairs
The storeroom was dark where mosquitoes made lairs
No foam mattress ,the beds were cotton stuffed and hard
Pillows stuffed thrice yet flat sans bounce- very sad!
I enjoyed peaceful sleep on them and never I felt bad
Good schooling was the greatest asset I ever had
Half an egg fried and curried for dinner
With hot boiled rice I never felt happier
I lived happily with my parents and brother
Together we skipped through the years bonded together
Wednesday mornings I felt ecstatic
Waiting for "Binaca Geetmala" on the radio - night at eight
I'd float to my neighbours house and never was late
Thursday evenings mamma(granny) performed "Laxmi Puja"
Bits and slices of fruit offered I ate with relish and reverence
Winter mornings- eight was bathtime
I sat beside mom's clay kitchen oven
Waiting,basking in the warmth of oven and mom's love
Our bathroom was small with a cement tank
The house on rent at Shekh Bazar was a Love Bank
Packets and bundles of love in every nook and cranny
Father the Superman,Mom the Queen, fairy Godmother Granny
I could not repay the compound interest or the Love Money
© Bishwanath Mukherjee
