Teenage Love Poem by Shankaran Kutty

When I was a teenager
It was indeed a must
That like everyone I fall in love
If not, I won no trust

But what should I do to fall in love
I indeed had no clue
But my friends who did manage somehow
Said it is too good to be true

They walked around as super heroes
And roamed with dreamy eyes
Shy me, with a stranger girl
Didn’t know to break the ice

We talked about in hushed whispers
“Those two are an item”
To be a leader, win a girl
Was the unwritten dictum

To solve a problem in mechanics
They had no clue to do so how
But Amul chocolates never forgot to give
As a “Gift for someone you love”

Beneath the trees and behind the lab
They talked and talked and mostly, only talked
And those traveling the one way street
Their targets, they daily stalked

Then there were those with dads so rich
In their Yamahas they came well preened
With Ray Ban shades and a fire in hand
At pretty girls, they beamed

And so time went by and I continued to be
A rare romantic failure
As all around in pairs they went
Whether my junior or senior

So it was in the car park other day
I met my college Casanova
He walked past looking so bored and aged
As I parked my Innova

“How are you, that college beauty
Did you take as your wife? ”
He looked at me and said so softly
“No, bro, that is not life”

“Those girls in college, so smart are they
Much smarter than you and me
Each day my meagre pocket money
On her was spent, would ensure she.

Nail polish, eye shadow, glass bangles red
With love and affection, bought her, did I
Churidar, tops and leather hand bag
Ice creams, Porotta and Syrian Beef fry.

She did breath much sweet nothings
Each day and every day into my ear
And before I closed and opened my eyes
Went by many a love filled year

One day a marriage invite came my way
I opened to see, she was the bride
In shock the world caved below me
I sat in a corner and cried and cried

I knew for him ‘twas terrible pain
But for me it felt so nice
For having not fallen in love
I suddenly felt so wise

So that it was my dear friends
Of love lost, an ancient story
But sad is life, for even today
Poor boys repeat history

Did I tell you, all this story
You shouldn’t tell my wife
For when I go home tonight, I don’t
Fancy a welcome, with a kitchen knife!