I Have Forgotten To Giggle.. Poem by Veeraiyah Subbulakshmi

I would like to giggle as a girl,
Blinking the jingle bells of the shells,

But shrouded with clear blue sky of night,
Exploring every past pages of delight,
Stand tall, but not lean as the tower Pisa,
Walk through the congested book fair for the snack,
Paddled in the oceans of libraries for crisp ideas,
Waiters are planted in every depot to hand out the treasure,
What else do I need as a girl, who has stopped to giggle?
Paper pad and pen then; I pad, the mouse and the selfish drive,
I am too happy to be associated with the world of mine,
Where the love for self never get fused with the surge of emotions,

Sometimes I would like to giggle as a girl, next door,
Swiping the father’s credit card in every store,
A small grandmother’s tattoo near the shoulder,
Chewing the gum bought from the old bus stand, Thanjavur,
Wading through the playground, after the monsoon;
Observing the inattentive statues in contemporary sons,
Holding the hands of girls until the corner to depart,
Praying to the Gods in every temple hundred yards apart,

I would like to giggle as a girl, who has gone older,
When I do, everyone get shocked, questioning my status,
Advising me not to do too artificial and be normal,
Giggling is meant for people, who are real,
For the people who are made, it is too strange and bizarre.