Lesh Karan reading ‘(Ir)responsible memories’

nine years old
potato curry
rice
an egg cracked in
carbs upon carbs
cooking

ten years old
bus  walk   siblings
to school
from school
swimming day
sleep   drool
pooling in lap
seeping home
library   rain
promise
of penalty
hill   cousins
bee stings
तुम बड़ी है
a goody-two-shoes
lace-looped
with adults’ duties

thirteen years old
camouflaged
in heels
conceivable
paternal fear
balloons
हाथ पैर काट के
room में बन्द

one claims
one denies
both there
neither present
memories fly
fragments stitched
in my fabric 

Transliteration and translation

तुम बड़ी है /tum badi hein: You are the eldest 
हाथ पैर काट के / haath pair kaat ke: sever limbs
room में बन्द / room mein band: lock in room

Lesh Karan is a former pharmacist turned writer and recent poet. She is Fiji Indian and immigrated to Australia over 30 years ago. Lesh happily calls Melbourne home. Her website is leshkaran.com.