Boxes

Allow your wandering eyes to
settle on cardboard boxes which
perhaps would make you smile?

Open
old handmade cards -
with sketch-pen-ed smiles and
the smell of floral glue

a half complete tea set -
stains of old dried Rasna and
two of mum’s stolen spoons

a torn ludo board -
behind monochrome squares and
kiddish tales of misfortune

chalked sea shells -
from that day at the beach and
the sunset with your favourite hues

a hidden slam book -
phone numbers of lost friends and
what your crush liked about you

that thick photo album -
savouring mangoes in knickers and
sequinned fancy dresses at school,

open those boxes when time halts;
the future is hazy, but the past was true.

- Nishtha Nayar 
NaPoWriMo 2020, day 2.