by Varsha Sreenivasan
“idli vada
Sir?”
asks the waiter
at the
breakfast place;
“sure,”
smiles
the busy
one,
in the middle
of his steaming
brown gravy;
dhak dhak,
goes urad – .
the proud offspring
of
the rain soaked
Deccan.
Then the train
chugs lazily
up
to the centre,
just out of reach
of the drenched
Deccan fields.
With the showers
just about enough,
before long
it has struck gold.
Hey, calls out
the yellow gravy
left to simmer
on the low flame;
into the crackling
tad ka,
goes arhar.
huff..puff –
now the journey
becomes a climb,
when the plains
seem to change
their mind,
just within
the grasp
of winter’s
cool fingers,
sings the soil
rich with wealth,
from the land
of the five rivers.
Hey, wait
there’s food
here too!
From beside
the blob
of cooked green,
comes the a-maize-d chuckle
mak ka..
says “yoo hoo!!”
Now the
wind
has a bite
to it;
the rocks
have hardened
beneath
the feet.
The nip
in the air
calls out
from afar,
over the tops
of the
mountains.
“Come hither,”
call the secrets
up the sleeves
of the
lofty ones.
The steaming hot
cup of broth
in the biting cold,
whispers –
“Now
take a sip
of me,”
coaxes barley.
Goodbye,
the train calls
with a sigh,
as it enters
sandy stretches
to the west.
The glowing embers,
the desert air,
the camel mountains,
of shifting
sands.
The pan
silent,
letting it roast
in the whistling winds.
Pats on its back,
round round,
turn,
slap in the plate,
lands one neat
roasted bread.
Jowar cackles –
“Hello there!”
About turn
now it chugs,
parallel
to the mountains;
the train
has entered
a different soil.
Now it rains,
now it doesn’t;
“Ah, but wait!
You must come
for tea,”
call out
Assam, Darjeeling!
The stars
are out now
in the clear
dark far above;
It’s dinner time
soon,
the clouds
have passed,
the air
is heavy with moisture;
not to fret
says this one,
green and friendly;
clouds may come
and clouds may go,
but not food
in this land
you call home.
Oh, soon it will be
time to return
to urad land;
but not without
shaking hands
with
dearest moong!
Pic : dey – http://www.flickr.com/photos/dey/
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