Prompt: write a poem on sleep, or the lack of it
“Nanhi pari, sone chali, hawa dheere se aana”
Her lullaby makes me drowsy
A tender memory from when I was young
My little hands in hers
Ma’s hands soothing my back
As she cradled me to sleep
Patiently waiting
For my eyes to close for a few peaceful hours.
My little niece in her granny’s lap,
Recalls her entire day before bed,
“Doodoo piya?
Mumma? Papa? Nani? Masi?”
Ma assures her that everybody has had their bottle of milk,
“Butterfly, Bumblebee!”
“Me me me, you you you, makes we”
In her half-asleep state,
She sings Nani all her favourite songs,
Proudly serenading herself with lullabies,
Yet refusing to close her eyes.
“Gudiya rani, betiya rani, phoolon ke nagron se ik din”
“Nani, baby shark doo doo doo dooo”
Under the blanket,
I stop myself from laughing,
Masi won the sleeping contest,
Which means muffling the giggles
Lest her sleep is lost forever.
When Ma begins a drone-like hum,
Is when her tiny almond-shaped eyes begin to droop
“Baby doo doo doo” she coos,
Doo doo doo
Doo doo
Doo
...
All I can smell is the Johnson baby cream, Feel the comfort of her hands in mine.
Ma plays with my hair and I drift into a reverie,
I was the baby once.
Baby doo doo doo doo
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