One Place To Go

There was no place to go

When winter dimmed

There was this all that came to light

When sacred fires skimmed our faces over fences of memory

I waited for the unfed Santa-man on my school's sidewalk

He didn't give, but begged for coins

For him there was no sweet crumbs baking

Warm dishes squealing in the little arc of holiday lights

Also there was this fat nun-teacher in our section who did a jig for us

She tall and big, sang throaty carols in the name of deserts, donkey and a child

We saw that kid everyday near the pale woman by the shops

She wore rags like royal attire and a smile to light the brightest

Candles lit by my Catholic neighbor that competed

With my grandma's heathen oil lamp flames chasing the Sun-god

Running askew at solstice behind the sky

To flicker till the rays fell straighter on her dew-soaked Tulsi

Grandma would scatter puja grains and chant her Uttarayana mantras

And tell me about a path that leads to a garden

Of ceremonies where we apparently could share

Sugardrop laughs with my classmate Maria Joseph -- also Humeira and Maya

There, where incense sticks burned around ravishing firepits,

There was no place for lines or walls

There was no place to go other than

Longings for prim days that opened their doors wearing festive shades.

Picture from Internet: Surya, the sun-god

(This poem has been written for this holiday season on a special prompt by the very helpful blogspot poetswhoblog's "Twelve Days of Poetry")