Ode To A Small Town


I dreamt of my hometown
I walked in its narrow lane in my Bata flip-flops
With my mismatched dupatta trailing on one side
I stepped into that old kirana shop

Then I stood still
And everything flashed back to me
Savita Aunty peeping into everyone's lives
And rickshaw parked under that Neem tree

There knock on the door was seldom
People called out your name
Sharma Aunty was 'Billo ki Mummy'
And borrowing was never considered a shame

Diwali-Dussehra-Shaadi had a different flavor
We exchanged mithai, not gifts
Where Rohan spent more time in Chawla's house
Till he was six

We celebrated little of things
Oh, we did show-off
News of new TV by Rana Aunty
Ended as a debate in Gupta family to buy a car

That strange-happy feeling of belongingness
That loud laughter of pesky neighborhood aunts
Small town version of Gossip Girls
Who plucked leaves from your Tulsi plant

If you ever lived in a small town
You may still have a part of it
Maybe lingering taste of its street food
Or memory of your first crush you dare admit

Walk into those narrow lanes
Brings back a world full of charm
Like you've spun a cozy blanket
Of warm woolen yarn

Image Source - Here

Comments

  1. Wow! You breathe life into nostalgia :-). Whatever was dormant has been activated; beautiful description

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  2. It's so beautiful! Rustic and lovely!

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  3. So lovely! Took me back to all the small towns I grew up in. Do you mean kirana shop in the first para?

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  4. Super awesome.... Nostalgic....

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  5. Sweet memories of younger days came back!

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  6. that is a beautiful and rather a very graphic depiction of life in a cozy small town. it has a charm of its own , a certain warmth that can never be found anywhere on earth! lovely Saru!

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    Replies
    1. That is so true. I miss the charm of my town. Thanks for reading, Ankita.

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  7. Saw pretty much the same in childhood despite having been brought up in Delhi! Lovely rhyme like always, Saru:)

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    1. Difficult to imagine that Delhi was once like that. For that matter, even small towns are over crowded these days. Wish you can just rewind time.

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  8. Enjoyed your nostalgic memories! Let me try to write in these angles one one day after visiting my town!

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  9. Wonderful memories and such a pretty photo.

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  10. yes, small town memories....only yesterday did I talk with my husband about how life was.....well so lively in those small mohallas....beautiful beautiful poem Saru......

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    1. You said it right - it was lively. Thanks for reading, Sunaina.

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  11. That's so intimate and personal with Saru touch

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  12. Such a wonderful portrayal of nostalgia. Memories worth cherishing a lifetime :)

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  13. This post brought back all beautiful memories of our childhood. Those days were wonderful.
    Thanks for sharing

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  14. opened it yesterday...couldn't read it....kept it open to finish it off today and finally I did. :) Reminded me of the couple of small towns I grew up in and all the memories came flooding by. I also feel like writing one now :) Of the Kirana store where I used to sell the Hindu papers...the neighboring homes..the women sitting in their front doors by evening and watching the people passing by...I think these days every house hold is busy with TV serials.

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    1. Yeah, it's kind of sad. TV and mobiles have replaced the human bond. I feel proud of myself that I don't carry a phone.
      Do write your feelings and share. :)

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  15. What a lovely ode to an Indian small town. Your lines are so picturesque, Saru.
    Had a good holiday, you two?

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    1. Yeah, it was awesome.

      Thanks for reading, Dee. :)

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  16. Whenever I visit my hometown I have this sudden realization how small and innocent it looks compared to the cities I live in. Beautiful memories :)

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    1. Indeed, they have innocence. Visited Sydney last month, it is definitely crowded.

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  17. This is so apt as I am currently visiting a few small towns in Rajasthan and was feeling so nostalgic about my own time as a kid in my hometown. :)

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    1. Yeah, it gets to you. Thanks for reading, Ami. :)

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  18. I could find my life in my hometown in these lines. Well done, Saru. A lovely post. :)

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  19. Loved it! Especially the ending part is touching :)

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  20. So very true. People started resenting visitors during the saturday movie on doordarshan. Then it spilled over to serials and now we are all confined to our homes and the social visits have virtually stopped.

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    1. Painful but true. I miss gold old days. Technology sucked fun out of life.

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  21. If you ever lived in a small town
    You may still have a part of it
    Maybe lingering taste of its street food
    Or memory of your first crush you dare admit
    True words Saru Ji . I feel these words are written by you only but these words are for everybody who lives a time in small time . Sharma aunty today also known as ................Pari ki mummy . haha

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    1. Hahaha... Those fancy names.
      Thank you for reading.

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  22. AWESOMEeeeeeeeeee .. i went in dream world at reading the word BATA :)

    Bikram's

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  23. I simply loved your description of a small town.

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  24. A fabulous poem on life in a small town and memories defining our existence and identity:)

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  25. very happening. jaise sab ankhon ke samne se gujar raha hai

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  26. This is so beautiful poem. This poem can be related to all who are not at present where their childhood days was spent. This is a masterpiece. Everyone who read this will surely have their "old memories revisited."
    Great creation mam. The title of this poem also reminded me the famous poem "Ode to the West Wind", written by P.B.Shelley.

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    1. Oh, I like that poem. Thanks for a beautiful comment, Ashish.

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  27. Wonderfully worded Saru. Had read this on your FB sometime back..

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  28. Hello Saru,

    Apt description of a small town and its vibrant life. Where is your Hometown ?

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