Crazy Me 'n My Buddies

"Crazy Me 'n My Buddies" is a dedication to my childhood friends - Womb Buddies, Chaddi Buddies, Crime Buddies, not to mention Backup Buddies, during crazy stunts 'n special effects. Distance and time have separated us but our souls seem connected by the times we have shared... Hope I am able to do justice to those freaking adventures and a few serious times in this poem taking you for a walk down OUR memory lane...


Times for some dating back to us cradling in our mothers' wombs like gifts from god
Being born a few days apart, different in appearance, natures like peas in a pod
Some jumped along with their crazy elements midway into our life's wagons
While some sauntered in casually to help us fight life's looming dragons

Books on the desk, eyes on the board, listening to the teacher writing a maths score
Waiting for the tough times to end, glancing at the playgrounds for games 'n more
Hey!! As rings the bell for the break, "ZZZOOOP", a soul zips past our bleary eyes
That's our dear Chaddi Buddy trying to reach home before the electric chime dies

Gone soon were the days of childish banter, days of recklessness were due to start
Statuettes of sobriety within the walls, let us out, you'll see how we topple your life's cart
Semi dressed, dripping uncombed hair, dragging bags, using chalks to polish shoes in hand
Running, Scrambling over boundary walls, making our untimely entry, little short of grand

"ऊँ असतोम सद्गमय | तमसोमा ज्योतिर्गमय | मृत्योर्मा अमृतंगमया | ऊँ शान्ति शान्ति शान्तिः ||"
O' such Musical souls we were, that even this chant could make our hearts dance
"दया कर दान विद्या का हमें परमात्मा दे ना, दया कर माँ हमारी आत्मा में शुद्धता दे ना ..."
Sleepy heads, folded palms, musical morning, cool breeze were enough dose for a trance
"ऊँ सहना ववतु, सहनौ भुनक्तु, सहविर्यम् करवावहे, तेजस्विना वधीतम् अस्तु, मा विद विशावहै, ऊँ शान्ति शान्ति शान्तिः ||"
Pledge and National Anthem were next to go, with all of us standing in a staid stance
And Viola!! Here we are, rejuvenated and raring to execute our day's notorious plans

Table tennis in the class, across the teacher's table, with a notebook 'n paper ball
Hitting it hard out of the window, invariably on Princi's head every time did it fall
Football in the school passage was fun, with Backup Buddies covering up for us few
Recess saw 13 tiffins being attacked, devoured, cleaned in 5 minutes of record time too

Climbing trees to pluck mangoes, 'n clamouring onto car roofs to get to the tamarind tree
Pockets full of aanwla supari, parathas, bunking classes, craving to break free
Notoriety galore saw us pulling tricks on all, Beware!! Here come Crime Buddy Patrols!
Chalks, paper bits aligned on fan blades, ready to shower, on teachers, poor unsuspecting souls

Fuming teacher, giggling buddies, visit to Princi's office had its own charm in a way
Lined up for explanation, in decreasing order of crime, a buddy decided to lead the way
Backup Buddies stayed behind while Womb Buddies smiled n' fluttered their lashes
Crime Buddies shifted in their shoes, but brave Chaddi Buddy faced the scale thrashes

Demons of exams loomed large every quarter, leaving us all bewildered 'n teary eyed
A teacher teaches a single subject, but expects a single student to know the world wide
So driven were we in our aspirations, taking matters in own hands with our creations
Slips of paper were passe, Crime Buddies found stealing papers as the best of all options

Board exams were the deadliest of demons needing special attention 'n a detailed plan
Physics paper was worst of the lot, needing combined answering as the only option then
Getting caught never crossed our minds, what could be worse than a failure's plight
Tuition and extra classes at odd times we endured, all hard work to take our fancy's flight

Valentine's Day brought an awareness of sorts, planning a party, escaping staid old plots
Leaving home as demure lassies, changing into sexy skirts, rocking babes 'n vodka shots
Whistling, calling out, going for walks, laughing, chilling in the gardens in dead of the night,
Buddies, inseparable by time, forever managed to take residents' imaginations to soaring heights

Years have passed, excerpts are few, choosing our ways on life's path we've all moved along
Memories are fresh, images are are clear, bonds between us are still ever so strong
Now that we know we miss our times together, 'n living apart is just a matter of chance now
Virtual space is a temporary meeting ground, meeting at base should be the choice now, anyhow!!