School Life

by Padmaja Iyengar-Paddy

Mom was often my morning alarm,
Woke me up with a milk cup warm.
But getting up from bed was tough,
Unless warned by dad’s voice rough!

Packing the bag with books and lunch box,
And going round searching for my socks...
Till mom came along with the missing pair,
And I wore them while she plaited my hair.

She invariably told me to eat my lunch
And also packed some in-between munch!

My friends and I reached school early,
To have a quick chat and grins pearly.
Tearing away from pals and entering the class,
Was perhaps at school, the most difficult task!

The most tragic moments in the school were
Being caught with “surprise tests” unawares!
And the best news – no doubt, a God sent,
Was that of the PT teacher being absent!

Stomach ache and headache were excuses best
To avoid a few PT Sessions and some class tests.
Not running, but relaxing under PT Teacher’s nose –
Result – excessive flab that all over me still shows!

Sharing a comic from inside a text book
While the teacher taught with a stern look,
Shaking with a silent guffaw
On discovering a teacher’s flaw,
Quietly popping a toffee while a class was on,
Are all sweet memories of school days bygone!

Friends made during those days of childhood
Remain ours lifelong for times bad and good,
For we were partners in all sorts of “crimes”,
That were innocent pranks of good old times!

16-Aug-2013

More By : Padmaja Iyengar-Paddy

Views: 1482 Comments: 11

Comments on this Poem

So familiar scene and narration of the nostalgic past! Thank you, Padmaja Ji.

jairathore
18-Aug-2013 00:10 AM

Thanks Kulbir :-)

Padmaja Iyengar
17-Aug-2013 22:26 PM

Padmaja,

A very nostalgic narrative - my gratitude!

Kulbir
17-Aug-2013 16:05 PM

Thanks TCA Sir and Prabha.

Padmaja Iyengar
17-Aug-2013 09:23 AM

Though I do not have much to share or think about my school days, I enjoyed it. Thanks for taking others to their school days.

Prabha Ramadurai
17-Aug-2013 04:44 AM

Brings back memories of my school days and those of my daughter.
Beautiful.

T.C.A.Srinivasaramanujan
16-Aug-2013 22:59 PM

Thanks kingshuk, Hema, Shernaz and rupradha for liking this poem and your generous words of appreciation. Yes Hema, the P T Teacher was always a dreaded character:-) Yes, Shernaz, my school friends are still my best friends. Yes, we too have a blast when we meet :-))

Padmaja Iyengar
16-Aug-2013 17:09 PM

brilliantly depicted..makes me nostalgic too..

rupradhamookerjee
16-Aug-2013 14:33 PM

Friends made during those days of childhood Remain ours lifelong for times bad and good, For we were partners in all sorts of “crimes”, That were innocent pranks of good old times!

Padmaja, school time is the best time in one's life and as you have said in the lines above, childhood friends remain our friends forever. I can attest to that, because after 40+ years of having left school, we are a bunch of 8 or 9 who are still good friends...we caught up with one another thanks to the internet, meet whenever we can and have a blast. Thanks for taking us all through a nostalgic journey.

Shernaz
16-Aug-2013 11:54 AM

Brings back several nostalgic memories....And did your PT master ask you to move around in a "straight circle"?
thanks.....

Hema Ravi
16-Aug-2013 11:32 AM

Thank you so much, Padmaja to take me back to my school days........Beautifully done!

kingshuk
16-Aug-2013 08:56 AM