Winter as a season, it leaves me cold.

Enthusiasm is difficult to dredge up, truth be told.

Mostly gloomy sunless days

Freezing in so many ways

Layers of woollies with great weight

I only want to hibernate!

 

To make it work for me this time, I made up a list of warmth

Bits from the past, pieces from today…all forming a base for me to go forth.

 

Of school days of long ago, where my mother filled my pockets with dry-fruits hazaar.

I chewed on them on the cold bus stop and all the way to school which seemed so far.

 

Of being bundled in layers of woollies, all hand knitted love.

Of looking for one favourite lost glove.

 

Of the piping hot glass of milk,

The rustle of mummy’s silks.

And the bars of the old room heater, glowing richly red.

And my nose in the cold…like Rudolph’s-also richly red!

 

Of snuggling in a quilt, thick and soft.

Of putting on vibrantly coloured thick Tibetan socks- a comfort of a terrific sort.

A rani pink sweater and matching socks

I just couldn’t get enough of.

 

The glowing embers of a tandoor

Hot chocolate, halwa and gur

 

A community bonfire for Lohri

Gajak, til and rewri

 

 

A Kashmiri phiran with delicate work

Yellow flowers lining a side-walk

 

Methi ka paratha and a runny egg yolk.

Tastes heavenly-must try it you folk.

 

An RD Burman song on the radio

Bright fresh vegetables, bursting with good health for you.

 

Mild sunshine filtering through trees lining the road,

Cheering me up by a truck load.

 

An evening walk with the moon full and bright

A friend dropping by, hugging me tight.

 

 

The fragrance of fresh bread

A pile of books, waiting to be read.

 

 

Children in woollens and puppies at play

Absolute bundled up joy

 

This list will grow yearly,

But this is can say clearly,

I can handle the winter now,

Give a tot of rum and then see how!