a few of my favourite things

starry nights and sunny morns
dolphins, zebras, unicorns
rhythm and dance
laughter that rings
twinkling eyes
ylan's apple-pies

yellowed pages and dog-earred books
sunchymes and kitchen disasters
hot saunas and ice-cold dips
masala chai and sea-salt crisps

snow-capped mountains
chrysanthemums
graceful pirouettes
babies' soft bums

the smell of a bakery
dusk and dawn
singing loudly
the silliest song

late night chats of meaningless madness
folk tales and songs of sadness
watching movies back-to-back
till my eyes are sore and my head hurts
drinking too much coffee at one go so
i can 'do stupid things faster with more energy'

the bhelpuri-wala's grimy hands
the taxi-wala's psychedelic idols
the optimism of the riskshaw-wala
marine drive and mondegar

the frenzied janta
the pelting rain
the sultry summers
the crowded trains

old friends and new streets
ice-skates and board-game cheats
the secrets of the universe
and of the child

the unsaid but heard
the unseen but felt
the unknown but familiar
the lost and the found

my father's hands
my mother's smile
my nephew's hug
and s.