Before I die
I want to have chai
To bust this cold
A nuskha* so old
It puts to shame
All new fangled norms
Just a sip of chai
My ancient heart cries
No garnish no embelish
Let me simply relish
The golden brown liquid
A little strongly brewed
And that slurp to overcome
All the dramas of life
A mere drop of chai
My thirsty tongue vies
When the water boils hot
Then let the leaves flop
Into that stained pot
Oh! Please don’t clean the spots
They are there to remind our lots
In pain and pleasure
In busy-ness and leisure
How it gave us company some
That cracked pot of chai
I’d like to hold high
On summer’s crispy days
Drenched in rains’ play
As spring sashayed by
And autumn left a sigh
We dealt with the vagaries of mausam**
With a kulhar***brimming with chai
Our only and lonely stand by
Waiting for the bus
Or in the midst of gupshup****
When theories became thoughts
When deadlines became wrought
When bends and turns and boughs
Made us cry “Enough…!$!“
When strangers friends become
That steaming smoky chai
Made us wryly smile
Now as days rush by
Staring at the sky
My fetish for chai
Knows no bounds …Oh come!
Why don’t you add some
Crispy crunchy fries
With that fateful chuski*****of chai
I wish to bid my last goodbye
Footnote :
Nuskha – Antidote
Mausam – Weather
Kulhar – Earthen cup
Gupshup – Chitchat
Chuski – A delicious sip
I hope you don’t have a cold
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Thank you very much Derrrick. I do have a cold.
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Love this poem. The rhyme, the moments and the sip of chai all blend so well.
According to one of my cousins refusing a cup of tea is nothing but a paap 😁😂
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Absolutely. A heinous crime, a punishable offence and an inexcusable misdemeanor. 😆😆😆
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Love this as if I accompany you
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You are most welcome. Thank you so much
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Simply lovely!
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Thank you so much for your appreciation Luisa. It means a lot to me.
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You’re more than welcome 🤗
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Love your poem with desi touch. 🥹🥹🥹
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Thank you Sadje.
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You’re welcome. I want a cup of karak chai now!
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Listen to this while sipping that karak chai
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