In school, I learnt gardening. I am not very good at gardening but I strived to grow the plants I want. Most die but some grow as a surprise. They are so pleasant that it gives me great pleasure which finds expression in the poem below.
I had planted several times
Seeds of chillies but none survived.
Last year a plant came.
I thought it to be good for nothing,
Suddenly there came a lot of flowers
but where are the chillies.
It took some time to find the chillies peeping out.
Around 50-60 chillies emerged.
Then, came some kind of pests,
Covered every bit of the plant.
I bathed the tree with rice water.
Pruned it.
When the winter came, the leaves dried.
After January, young green leaves shone in bright sun light.
Then the same story of white flowers – so many blossomed that we ignored them.
We never used any chemical or organic fertilizer from the market.
We recycled waste by dumping used tea leaves,
And vegetable waste on the soil of the pot.
Surprisingly! This time, the chillies are bigger and greener.
Jagoran 