Making mud-pies
Chattering like magpies
Under the cool shade of the mango tree
Little girls in frocks
You and I…
When the red ants bit
You cried for mother
My muddy hands wiped the tears
Smudging your face; we laughed
You and I….
Together always in mischief and games
The oil baths and meals
Arms encircling each other even in our sleep
Inseparable like Siamese twins
You and I…
Walking to school with a heavy heart
Leaving you behind
Screams following me till the last bend in the road
Staying apart a torment for
You and I…
You waited by the iron gate
Threw tantrums if I were late
Ran unheeding when you saw me from afar
We hugged and kissed
You and I…
I no longer wear a frock
The iron gate seems to mock
My heart lurches when I hear tyres screech to a halt
When will we meet again
You and I…
- Shail Mohan (Aug 2010)
Childhood is magic, nostalgia is all we are left with, and the promise of a meeting again, sometimes is all we think it is, isn’t it?
There is lilt of a lullaby that lurks, and the hint of pain that all is not as it seems.
Lovely poem, Shail. Touches something soft and forgotten inside.
Thanks Usha. Yeah all is not well in this one. The last para says it. Was I too subtle??
Well, since I cant take anything at face value, I shall let that question pass
Your touch is always subtle, Shail
Just that sometimes I like to delve 
!
And its wonderful when you do delve!
Soft, gentle, subtle … the pain of nostalgia, the longing for childhood, the wistful memories of relationships that have lost their closeness. Lovely poem
Thanks Ritu. Yeah there is loss. But, I think I have missed conveying something more. Let me wait some more.
That was just soooooo sweet! Touched beyond what words can describe! I must forward this to my sister!
Thanks Pal.
lovely!!:)touching really!!but wat abt the other stuff..eg.: rem hw i pulled ur hair,hw u ran bawling,to mom complainin,her punishin,you and I??
hw we played at dolls,combed their hair and all,mine-her hair was long;with magical eyes brown,yours with curly hair;and a frock as long as a gown;hw we fought over mine,you and I? hehe..Iam sorry..but the devil in me took over.. but hey urs must hav ur sis in tears..as they say in girly land..sooo sweeeet..
Ahhh there speaks someone who has yanked his brother’s hair and sent him crying to Mom. Am I right??
You are right, I should have written about dolls 
hey jus wanted t add that even being nostalgic and all it still seemed a tad sad..hope my seein it in a light sense in the above comment didnt hurt..
Yes, its meant to be a tad sad. No probs about taking it lightly.
It is nothing personal, totally fictitious.
Don’t have a sister. Always wondered how it’d be though. There’s something other than just nostalgia in the poem though. An underlying feeling of loss?
Yes, there is loss… but I think what the loss has been has not been either conveyed or grasped
the sister was a victim of an accident?
You got it Arch!
Memories cling on like moss
Time hasn’t taken off the gloss
the mind refuses to accept the loss
the pain is beautifully put across.
Subtlity at its best.
Thank you Govind
Uh-oh!!
A wee bit sad, this one was.
I have two elder sisters and I can’t think of not knowing when we’ll meet again!!
And oh, the tragic end was very , very sad. Did it have to end like that?!!
It didn’t have to of course Noorulayn
Shail,
the bonding between sisters was expressed so beautifully .Its only the end which made me realise the sad tone .Next time , I ask of you , a very happy end.
Thanks Kirti. I will try to oblige thought the possibility is remote
mind telling us wats up?
*looks up* All I can see is the concrete roof Leo. :/
WOW…Shail, this is beautiful.
I related with my sister and the whole idea of togetherness, as I read through your YOU and I.
Thanks Uma
I and my younger sister were very close, like the way you were with your sister. She was the stronger one, though. I took her advice and said ‘yes’ to marry my husband! Even now, she gives lot of advices, still we are very very close.
Nowadays, we meet rarely, though…hope you meet your sister often…don’t worry, Shail.
This is not about my sister and I Sandhya. just a fictitious scenario. I meet my sister pretty often
Shail, felt sad reading the poem. Conveys the depth and intensity of the loss.
Welcome to Shail’s Nest Ramah. Thank you
I dont have a sister, Shail but I’ve always yearned for one. And after reading this beautiful poem of yours, I miss having one even more.
Very touching!
Onaashamsagal, Shail
Thanks Deeps. Hope you had a lovely Onam!
Nice poem Shail, it is nice that you and your sister were close.
I don’t see you in Facebook? Happy Onam. Cheers.
Krishnan, nice to see you here. BTW this is not autobiographical.
Thanks for the Onam wishes