An Ode to My Farm
(Vrindavan Farm, Alibaug)

In these redolent pastures —
amidst primroses and raptures,
in my lap I find
every speck of pollen, stamped
with a pass to Paradise.
My spirited wingspan grows
as I follow the dragon fly.
By the topiary’s magical caskets,
the spiced air of Spring bursts
into a precocious frolicked laughter!

Among the droning bees,
and their candied hives —
I am a Queen!
My heart a Bard!!
With my sickle-shaped mind, I weed out
all that is mouldy and wild.

Beneath the shade, the nightingale
is in great concert.
Look! The hollyhocks are trumpeting
to tell... the plump mangoes are ripe,
ready to be picked for a bountiful harvest.

Between the portulacas
and the bougainvillea arches,
I can hear the loopy ‘mynah’s’ chatter!
As the seasonal egrets arrive,
flashing past the Green House —
there, the lone canary rose
in a state of scented stupour...
is nonchalant to the grouse
of the field mouse!

In these redolent pastures —
my life’s chalice captures
floral colours framed
in deep pink, magenta, and pure white.
Faintly! Very faintly!!
Can you hear the good fairies
tiptoeing on these enchanted grounds?

Here, I can almost taste
the treacled nectar,
of promised hope and joyous sounds.

1998