A Winter morning

It was a chilly winter morning and Cara snuggled under the blanket, reluctant to leave its warmth. While her sleep clouded brain took its own sweet time to wake up, her senses were switching on one by one. The curls on top of her head emerged from her coccoon in response to the sweet chirps of sparrows outside her bedroom window. Her thick eyelashes opened briefly as an errant sunbeam penetrated the gap in the curtains and fell on her face, only to squeeze shut again as she turned on to her tummy hiding from the light of day. It was the heavenly aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked croissants from the boulangerie downstairs that tickled her nostrils awake, finally rousing her brain out of sleep mode! She sat up in bed, her tousled hair giving her a cute, gamine look, as she stretched her limbs, smiled and whispered to herself, "Good morning, Me. 😊 Come on, girl - let's conquer the world!"

© Dr. Aparna Bagwe
7-Dec-2020

In sickness or health?

School was closing for the summer break; 

the kids headed for the burger joint to celebrate! 

The mid term exams were over at long last;

the boys scurried into the hookah parlour! 

It was evening - she had to rush home to cook;

she decided to have chaat at the street corner! 

It was dusk; he had had a long tiring meeting;

with his colleagues, he entered a bar for a drink! 

Little did they all know that someone out there 

was rubbing his hands, chuckling to himself.

This someone was a certain Mr. Reaction -

the not so instant payback for today's actions!

Mr. Reaction held in his palms their future:

lifestyle linked chronic diseases or conditions, 

gastrointestinal flareups and acute diseases, 

substance dependencies, and hospitalisation. 

Wealth and health are both vital for a good life

and taking them lightly is needless risk taking. 

Just like money - here today, gone tomorrow -

good health can easily slip out of our fingers.

We do not realise the true value of good health

until, alas, we find ourselves on the sick-bed. 

Then, a trifle late in the day, realization dawns

that health paradise lost cannot be regained! 

© Dr. Aparna Bagwe

Sun. 7-4-2024

Being present in the now!

She stood by the side of the busy street

under the shade of a ramshackle tin roof

waiting for the downpour to ease a bit! 

Her small parasol would not keep her dry. 

Her thoughts rushed back to another day

of welcome rain - so different from this. 

The two of them clinging to one another

under the haven offered by his umbrella. 

She tutted aloud as the rain refused to stop. 

In her mind"s eye, it was tomorrow already

and she was standing before her irate boss

being scolded for not reaching office on time. 

Her reverie was broken by a hoarse voice -

"Miss, why are you blocking my shop door?"

She realised that the rain had already stopped! 

Leaving the time warps, she returned to the Now! 

© Dr. Aparna Bagwe

Sat.  6-4-2024

Lucy's sensitive five!

Lucy is a seeing eye Sheepdog who guides

A blind old man who goes by the name Miles

They live in a cottage in the Australian outback

They both love each other to the moon and back. 

She wakes up as soon as she sees the sunlight

And wakes up her human for she's his eyesight

She leads him to the bath, and then to the kitchen

So he can make his tea, toast, eggs and bacon. 

When she hears the jangle of the delivery truck

She leads Miles out to pick up the weekly stock

Her ears cock attentively as she watches with care

As he counts out the money that he has to pay. 

A little while later, she raises her sensitive nose 

At the approaching familiar scent of young Moses

The ranch hand who's worked for Miles since long

who tends to the sheep and hogs by the billabong! 

She goes back to the cottage to the waiting Miles

Approaching him with her nails clicking on the tiles

She rubs against him so he knows she's by his side

And waits till he's ready, then leads him outside. 

The heat and dust of the day does not bother her

For she knows that Miles will definitely feed her

After they are done caring for the sheep and hogs

She will get to feast on her 'meaty treats for dogs'. 

© Dr. Aparna Bagwe

Fri. 5-4-2024