Aunt Rashi with a Smile
TUHIN KUMAR Chand
Dinajpur, West Bengal
Aunt Rashi with a smile, they say she never laughs,
Without sitting by the stove, she never starts her tasks.
Oh, this cold! Oh dear, such a mistake to come here,
Day and night, coughing away, oh father, it’s hard to bear.
Rubbing mustard oil on my chest all through the night and day,
That’s why the coughing subsides a bit—just barely keeping it at bay.
Never again will I venture into this biting winter’s chill,
Call as much as you like, Aunt Rashi—I’ll stay away, still.
If I can return home alive this time, I’ll swear and proclaim,
Never again to Raiganj’s winter—I’ll avoid its freezing game.
Without a smile, Aunt Rashi warms her hands till they burn,
Wrapping in a shawl, to Benaras, she’ll surely return.