The Girl From The Hills

-


A bit of frost
A bit of sunshine 
A sweet chilly breeze 
Fragrant with eucalyptus and pine....

Sunny days are a myriad of
Green and blue 
While monsoon
Is gloomy with dark hues...


We wake up to the 
Heavenly sounds
Of Nature 
And sleep in the quiet null
Of the universe 

A quaint little town i grew up in
Every person 
One of my own kin

A town that wakes up 
To the warm embrace of the sun
Over the horizon 
And parts ways
Welcoming a dark and cold night.



We were nestled 
At a safe height above 
All the noise of the crowd
The glint and glimmer of modernization 
And the 
Sounds of mechanisation 

Until one fine day
When the world found us!
Reached out to us 
For a bit of 
Pure air
For a bit of
Quiet
For a bit of cold
To escape the sweltering heat
Of the summer sun...




Warm guests we were
And
Have always been
Never tired of welcoming 
And hosting 

'Ah yes! we play soccer on level ground'
And 
'Of course, our houses stand on solid ground that doesn't topple over the slopes in the night!' - we used to assure, laughing at their amused expressions.

It's a life in the hills,
For heaven's sake!
Not Planet X in galaxy Y !!

Lol!

Over the years the numbers grew 
Flocking in hundreds 
Time and again 

Time brought change
And we changed with time 


Soon, even
Before we realised 
That quaint little town 
We grew up in
Was becoming a fragment of our memories
Lest imagination.

Our ears used to the quiet stillness
With the sweet sounds of nature 
Were now getting used
To the honking and blaring
Of horns from the traffic
That seems to be moving 
Round the clock.

Those quiet lanes and streets 
That we used to stroll on
Were now smothered by 
People crowding like bees

We realised
But a bit too late
We had lost our home
Our home sweet home
It had changed beyond recognition !


There were boards and placards 
All over the place
'Do not use plastic !'
'Do not litter!'
'Do not feed the monkeys!'
'Go slow. Animals crossing zone'

They stood out
Like scars 
Signs of invasion
Signs of exploitation 
Signs of nature deteriorating.


Stripped of all its goodness
The land, my homeland
Lay bare
Beckoning to us
Pleading for help

To her own people
Who had drifted 
Far far away
Away from home
In search of life
Only to be stuck 
In the midst of a Whirlpool 
Of human desires 
Losing sight of our
Way back home .
Hoping we would return
Just in time 
Until death do us apart.

Ah!
Those hills
Those truly magnificent hills
You are my one true home!
And
I shall never fail you...


Here's to a soul that longs 
For her closeness
Here's to a heart that aches 
From her memories 
Here's to a being
Who is
And
Shall always be

'The Girl From the Hills!!'

________________________________________


As I finished writing this poem, I felt a knot in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. I realized how much I miss my home—a longing that never truly fades. Life has changed for all of us, those of us from the hills, scattering us far from where our hearts belong.  

Alas!  

If only we could turn back time,  
Return to those days when little meant a lot,  
When life was simple,  
And love, peace, and contentment came naturally.  

This is my tribute—  
To the land that raised me,  
The place that will always hold my heart.  

OOTY
The Nilgiris 
Tamil Nadu,
 India
11.4102° N, 76.6950° E
 
________________________________________

A special  heartfelt note of thanks to Mrs. Pavithra Yudhister, who graciously consented to enhance the beauty and essence of this piece with her ever alluring charm and presence.


This wonderful human, has been someone I've looked upto ever since I was a little girl. She has inspired me and touched my life in ways beyond imagination. A creator par excellence, a neuro coach, and an early years educator, she has been a trailblazer, illuminating the paths of many others like me.

I am honored to dedicate this blog post to her—my darling aunt.

Thank you for always being there whenever I’ve needed you.

You truly are,

The Girl From The Hills!

(if you know what I mean 😉)

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