back at hemel

and i-am-sooo-relieved

these days i catch myself sighing…

at the broadband connection

at the just-five-channels on tv, and how

for me, when it doesn’t exist.

at my study-corner

where i type this.

at the silence outside my home,

the silence inside me

at the clocks going tick-tock.

everywhere in my garden –

at the plants growing carefree

at the plants that didn’t survive

at the birds that come and go

at the 16-hour-daylight

and the 18-degree summer breeze

pleasant.

…at the routines i welcome

washing, cooking, ironing

the to-do lists, the daily chores

at the effort of unpacking –

sorting, adding, keeping aside

something ‘for charity sake’.

at the time i get to myself

at home, in the local market

at the library

spotting indian faces

amid the white and blond

at the smooth transactions

the announcements, the queues

well-mannered.

…at the way the traffic flows

around car parks and superstores

at the order in the chaos

called life.