This morning K said to me
Have you read Calvin and Hobbes?
And I thought, “Have I? Have I!?” in utter glee.
And just like that I was there
with the things I left behind.
Zapped back through the portal called mind.
.
For me there wasn’t Hobbes
But another invisible friend
The monsters too were there
under my bed, and around that dark bend.
And like Hobbes my friend too
Tried to make sense of a world
Its inexplicablity that we ought to eschew.
.
I had a Miss Wormwood, baap re.
(Flabby arms, raspy voice, terrorstriker, chalk-aimerer et al, i say)
Susie Derkins wasn’t there though.
But there was a Moe,
(for sure, there was Moe)
And the bicycle, even if it was borrowed
Did take life of its own.
.
Most times it was a flying machine
Sometimes – despite the bumpy pavement concrete –
It was my magic-carpet-cum-marine
And even though Living Food never attacked me (It was me that attacked it, hungrily)
And Five times five wasn’t always twenty-five
I did have a Universe that came alive.
.
Ahoy there Calvin! Just look what you’ve done.
You didnt just make sense.
We were actually one.
‘Reality continues to ruin my life’
And yes somedays even my lucky rocketship underpants dont help.’
And just like you
i too do have a command of thoroughly useless information,
Oh, i do.
And in my universe
I was bigger, stronger, smarter,
Sardonic, too.
My comebacks were delicious.
I would savour them for days
Smiling secretly to myself over battles In the intergalactic space.
.
So thank you Bill Waterson
Your laments about life
The universe
Grownups
Seasons, snow, the tree.
What would we do without
your immortal imagery?
But especially
for decoding children, childhood.
And allowing so many of us to reconjure
The things we left behind
The good and definitely thoda godhood.
(today’s prompt: Things you left behind)
(c) Vinitha, April 26, 2019, Day 26
