beneath summer skies, blue and bright,
childhood joys take flight without fear,
courtyard games carefree and wild,
pandi, palankuzhi, thayam, kannamoochi,
with smiles undefiled.

innocent happy days of laughter and play,
bare feet on grass,
chasing dragonflies and butterflies all day,
tying threads to kite strings, watching them soar,
at grandmother’s abode, where summer finds its prime.

memories bloom as years pass by,
in her embrace, love resides, reaching for the sky,
abundant fruits jackfruit, pineapple, water apple,
trees bursting with vibrant cherry, a colorful hue.

birds pecking fruit, fallen to the ground,
mangoes abound, in varieties unbound.
alphonso, neelam, malgova, imam pasand, chengavarkai,
raw mangoes and salt, a flavour so sublime.

bats at dusk, a rustling sound,
balcony sleep, stars all around.
cousins unite, in playful anthakshari’s rounds,
ice cream melodies, morning to night, joyful sounds.

from kulfi to cone, a sweet tale unfolds,
flavors evoke feelings, stories untold.
Oh! childhood days, a wistful sigh,
summer’s embrace, memories fly high.

…

Beena E. S. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Marthandam. She has published a novel titled Thorns of Love. Her numerous poems have appeared on reputable platforms including Indian Periodicals, RIC Journal, Pashyantee, Delhi Slam Poetry, miniMag, and the Wingword Long List 2023. One of her poems was featured in the December 2023 issue of Beetle magazine. Her poem Silent Tales was among the top 500 poems in the Wingword Poetry competition. Another poem of hers was published in the anthology The Hour of the Sun.

Social Media Instagram handle: e.s.beena

Contact Mail id: beena@nmcc.ac.in

NOTES

Pandi -Hopscotch

Thayam (Dayakattai)- a dice game from Tamil Nadu, played with two long dice and a board. Players move their pieces around the board according to the dice rolls.

Palankuzhi– a traditional South Indian game involving a wooden board with two rows of pits and a set of seeds or shells. 

Kannamoochi– hide and seek.

Alphonso, Neelam, Malgova, Imam Pasand, and Chengavarkai -popular varieties of mangoes.

Antakshari – singing game often played in social gatherings and parties. Participants form teams take turns singing songs, where each song must start with the last letter of the song sung by the previous team.

Kulfi -ice-cream