Ooh Mon Diu!

by Priya Mahadevan

[box] Priya Mahadevan shares the joyful experiences of visiting Diu with her family for a vacation. Here’s a poem that talks about a trip that was loads of fun from beginning to end. Read on.[/box]

Mural headboards made of cement
Mirrored here and there
Mud cottages, deep brown by the sea
Memories aplenty to share.

A swing adorns each porch
In the old Magico Do Mar
Mosquito coils all around
To keep the pesky bugs afar!

A tree too many, my sister felt
All too close to enjoy
The divine sunrise that lit the sky
That could’ve added to our joy!

A vast beach with a calm ocean
To which we took many a jaunt
Playing ball bare feet in the sand
Making merry mermaid on the beach flaunt.

Encountering broken glass bits
Of beer bottles tossed without care
Surfacing to cut the unprepared
So all visitors to there, beware!

Morning chais, dip tea and coffees
And many a luncheon choice
Quibbles about really blah meals,
Eaten nevertheless with poise.

Nature has two sides, ‘tis nothing new
We have seen them both before
Siesta for some, charades for others
Raucous merriment, what a chore!

Jokes enjoyed so many times
Over years never fail to amuse
Guessing songs and musical interludes
A few more clues we could use.

Second-generation huddles
Invoking Freud, Disney or Alexander
Planchette or planned cheat
‘Tis up to the believer!

We had our fun
All said and done
With an unanticipated visit
To an age-old temple in the sun.

A rare gift to see such sight
And hear the history of Somnath
Many a storm has it seen
Withstanding attacks of wrath.

A trip to a sugarcane field
Gulping down sugarcane juice
Ample jaggery to sample
Stomachs full, still hard to refuse.

Soon, Gir Forest beckoned
With purrs and roars
Of lions and cubs
Ducking from bramble bushes on course.

Frozen solid by the time we were done
Escorted then to a tent extravaganza
Traditional dancer’s seductive swirling
To catchy music after every stanza!

 

 

 

The merriment continued
The little one danced alongside too
Come time to call it a night,
We called upon Hanuman, Barney & Winnie the Pooh!

Happy trotting with ponies
Watching the sad parasailing
A pink one pulled along the shore by a jeep
People in the air, legs and arms flailing.

Banana boat, sharp turns and collisions
Limo rides to an outdoor farmhouse luncheon
Clean pool, colorful towels, hospitality heightened
Did I mention the pool deck munchin’?

Time was nigh to say goodbye
To the magic of the sand and sea
And to Ammu Bhai, Giri Bhai, our handy helpers
We most gratefully thank you three!

With airport rides and queues waiting
The frisking, the baggage and the delays
Mumbai welcomed with brotherly love
Together once more before parting ways.

To Diu we bid fond adieu
I think we are a fortunate few
With this verse, I give you your due
You were incredible, ooh Mon Diu!

Priya Mahadevan is a writer and food blogger with a background in Journalism. She was a political and feature correspondent for a prominent Indian newspaper in the 90s before moving to the U.S. She lives in Virginia with her husband and 3 beautiful children.  She now dabbles in poetry writing, travelogues and is currently working on a series of children’s picture books. You can find her world of vegetarian recipes at http://priyasnowserving.blogspot.com.  

 

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