Words

By Sudhalekshmi M

When we ran out of toys, we played with words. Words that came in different types. Some had a stench, garlic like, it seemed, for they lingered long. May be, that’s yet another reason Grandma never eats them, I thought that day. Because, some things aren’t meant to stay back longer than necessary. It is unpleasant.

But we have fragrance for that, we giggled beneath the fairy lights. So, we tried words again, this time sweet, with the fragrance of fresh mint on them. Words that were toothpaste-like, that could make us forget the old stench.

Some days, however, the game seemed too cruel that we had to punish ourselves with silence, a not so golden one.

Some days, even worse, that we bled.

At first, with the ones we received,

Later and long, with the ones that spilled from our own mouths!

By Sudhalekshmi M