Rein-dear

Christmas eve

fairy lights

snowflakes on my ice lollies

Numb tongue with cheerful hue

Spring in the step with my giggling crew

Polka ribbons and girly dresses

Hands in hands and careless tresses

A boy, an uncle , a man , a stranger

Walking past us with an unobtrusive gait 

One stop and we turn around 

To see them watch us like a bait

What happened? we thought...

why us? why now?

What's different, What's new?

We asked ourselves as the dusk birds flew

And then she squeezed my hand with fright

Her eyes drawing down to the sight

Two spots ; a bright and a faded dark 

Blotted beneath to stay and stark

Shock, disbelief, confusion, fear

Covering walking clenching till our house came near

Last mile and we run like galloping dames

Panting and ranting to motherly claims

Cleaned and shielded and dressed anew 

How I wish that night if our childhood knew

That innocence percolated 

Through layers of shammy cotton 

Draining my babyness to seep and rotten

Dropping freedom and childlike gaze 

Into whims moods and a stripling phase

Wonderment, fearlessness, spontaneity all dropped

Anxious zits cryfully popped 

Curves and hair and a thumpounding heart 

Fashion mags, clearasil and tampons in cart 

Teasing and crushes and boys that stare 

Asking out , dates and a kiss that was rare

Making a lady out of a girl that was me

This was how the little one managed to flee

Now Santa was a man 

I d never sit on his lap 

Looking at his carriage

In my nervous juvenile gift wrap

- Prajakta Sathe.