Lockdown diaries

 

Lockdown diaries

- Jayishnu Roy

 

A lovely sunny morning when you decide to pack and head countryside,

A 10-day break from the institute’s mundane assignments, classes and aisle.

Out in the clear sky, amidst the lovely greens,

You find yourself with your pool of old friends and siblings. 

 

You get alarmed seeing the pandemic shine,

Sending waves of chill down your spine. 

Enthused by mixed-emotions, you feel the commotion,

The news of other institutes extending its vacations. 

 

A benevolent dream and bingo! You receive the most awaited mail:

‘Vacations extended’. 

 

Amidst a typical vacation, your uncle thumps in with the news of PM’s address to the nation.

With bitter-sweet memories of the last demonetisation, the family sits for the communication.

 

A jaw-dropping announcement; cascading a domino of unavoidable panic and clutters.

Everyone was busy transcribing the meaning of the great lockdown,

A much needed off from work for some, not so much for the frown.

Dwindling fire for some, the silver lining in the dark clouds for others.

 

With the most underrated resource; time in hand,

You reach out for your old dusty bat.

The younger sibling bowls, and you hit someone in the kin,

Shouts and fights over the hat.

From the other corner, you hear melodious sounds of divine music;

Your sister finally has enough time to iterate her practice fanatics. 

 

The following day your cousin grabs a long stick attached to a metal hook and sets himself on the terrace near the tree. 

He hooks a ripe guava landing right in your fist; finally, the cricket helped!

One fine morning, you chose to break the shackles, you collect tools and seeds, 

You sow, sweat, and smile; a simple activity to rejoice you inside-out. 

 

Cricketing in the aisle, plucking fruits from the tree, battling your teeth against the sugarcane, lighting lamps on PM’s call,

Appreciation for the bright shades of the blue and the green, staying indoors till all was clean and tall,

The new-normal took it all.