Dr Santosh’s poem depicts a child’s joy and laughter in a book, symbolising unity and the essence of life’s treasures in the Special Feature, exclusively for Different Truths.

Under the amaltas tree sat the ill-dressed child 

beguiled by a book. 
He excitedly flipped the pages, feeling enriched.
Vibrant.  Intoxicated.

In one impulsive gesture, he closed the book and kissed it.
A sudden cascade of yellow wealth from above covered him.
He threw back his head and laughed – laughed and laughed. 

The amaltas flowers beamed their Basanti beams,
as a rich, golden dream unfolded under the tree.

With grime on his cheeks, a glow in his eyes,
he sprang up, breaking into a jig, and soon
became a euphonious rhyme. 


His notes seamlessly merged with the notes of an old song

spilling out from an ancient transistor, standing 
on the boundary wall of a plot.
Here his labourer parents labored,
stealing affectionate glances with each other.


The man passed a big gravel-filled pan to his wife,
with a smile. She smiled back shyly.

Their way of celebrating Valentine's Day.

With deft movements, swaying to the steps of the old song, 

she swaggered on towards the plot,
where the hammers of regeneration
were creating their own music.
A Celebration was in the air.
 

The transistor crooned on:
"Aayi jhoom key basant jhoomo sang sang mei
Aaj rang lo dilon ko ik rang me 
Hai yey dharti sabhi ki
gagan sab ka
Tera mera na kaho hai yey chaman sab ka
Koi chota na bada,
koi khota na khara."*

Overhead, a few flamboyant kites tried
to catch the sun’s rays. The sun was in a daze,
mulling over the lyrics of the song.

*Lyrics of Prem Dhawan, Film Upkaar

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Santosh Bakaya

Reuel International Awardee [Poetry,2014], Setu Award for ‘stellar contribution to world literature’ [2018], Eunice Dsouza Award, 2023, [WE Literary Community], Santosh Bakaya, Ph.D., poet, essayist, novelist, biographer, TEDx speaker, has written twenty-three books across different genres, Ballad of Bapu, and Only in Darkness can you see the Stars [Biography of Martin Luther King Jr]. have won international acclaim. “What is the Meter of the Dictionary?” is her latest solo book of poetry.