That summer we left our childhood behind
in the darkling mango orchard,
before we knew it
the julienne carrots and turnips
left to sour and pickle
in the scorching sun,
before we knew it
grasping the stone-fruit in our fists
as if the sky had fallen
the lightening felling our wrists
leaving our chappals in the yard,
the porch lights switched on
awaiting our quiet return
we walked away,
before we knew it.
Gayatri Lakhiani Chawla is a published poet, freelancer and French teacher from Bombay. Her poems have been published in International anthologies and journals. Her poem Anagram won the 2013 Commendation Prize at The All India Poetry Competition, New Delhi. She was a featured writer for Wordweavers Poetry Contest 2015/16. She is the author of book of poems, Invisible Eye.
