red tunic...

sometimes...
in a red tunic
I see you
like a contrast sharp
against a b/w backdrop...

you seemingly stand
motionless...
white socked
and black shoed
ballerina...you...
with a candy in your hand
white and pink going round and round
with a long stick attached to it...
and the seesaw behind you
and a slip...
and a distinct row of eucalyptus-
a row by which we passed
every morn...
going to the school...
our class...
long casements in wooden frames...
a pathway of marbles glossy
bordering a green plain...
waterbottles with straps blue red pink
standing like a column of robots
at one corner of a room
full of hurly burly...
paperplanes flying around...
flipping leaves of books in a hurry...

and in a red tunic at a desk
with pencil you drawing a sketch...
a mud house by a river
and a tree with branches strong but bare...
and a perfect round sun at one corner of the page
torn from exercise book...
your hairband slim with flowers on it-
failing to hold back the unruly streaks
of hair from falling upon your eyes...
with a blunted blue crayon you painting your white sky...

then at tiffin break...
standing next to you
in a queue before the tap
to wash hands with soap...

then sharing with you
crumbs of bread
and getting in return
a spoonful of noodles...
from your yellow tiffin box...

sometimes...
in red tunic you return
to me with a lot of smiles...
against a backdrop not colored though
but against b/w red becomes a sweet contrast sure!