In a whiff ...

A limbo-esque afternoon was rolling up reluctantly into a warm & dusty evening

While a crabby granny was losing her serenity over a bunch of kids, still dreaming

The sun sieved a delicate pattern of shadows through a giant mango tree canopy

As Mangali & Budhwa locked their horns in a friendly bout to shake off some ennui

T’was time to drag out the belaboured, carbon clad earthen pot into the backyard

& prepare the clay fireplace for the euphonious pop with inherited skill and guard

She called out to them, hailed & hollered, but the little brats held on to their chaser

Finally, a splash of icy water on their faces got them to get up & sprint out for cover

In no time the fire was lit with the ceremonial pot perching pompously on top of it

Even as a pair of feet rushed to the store to fetch the prized sack of golden corn bit

The children hunkered around the fire as their humped magician threw in a handful

Eagerly waiting to catch the first explosion & take in the warm aroma by the soulful

It had the coarseness of mud & the calidity of sand with a smoky taste of the wood

Even though it seeped in our hearts like milk in water, it left a dint like no one could

Years later, stepping out of my office, a subtle trail left me spell bound on the spot

& I slowly realised that it was the same fragrance that had elated me as a kid, a lot

In a whiff I relived those moments of childhood bursting with wonder & simplicity

Not wanting to shake off this beautiful illusion where I wanted to be in perpetuity

But it left me feeling wistful & forlorn, as if I had woken up from a beautiful dream

As if I couldn’t recall the very page of the book where I had left reading in between

There have been many afternoons since, but few sans any baggage, my mind warns

Many epicurean recipes devoured but no one even near to those magical popcorns !!