My motherland's lullaby

Far away in a distant land,
Far, far away across the miles
Rests an island of sun and sand,
Sparkling with rainbows and smiles.

Here in my cold and drab flat
Perusing over mountains of books
The darkness transforms me into a blind bat
As I am surrounded by glares and strange looks.

As much as I fit into this higgledy-piggledy mess
I am still very much a stranger,
A mere visitor, a tad hapless,
Wondering if I might ever win this wager.

Outside, all looks dull and morose;
Nothing cajoles me back into happy cheer
I stop in my tracks and take a half-hearted pause,
Reminiscing about things so far, yet so near.

Old times, happier times, grander times,
When the sun would warm my heart
When the rain would fall in rhymes,
Waking me from my reverie with a start.

As I long back and contemplate on the past
Everything comes back in a blinding flash
Swirling and knocking my senses so fast
That I only get flimsy glimpses in a dash.

Winter nights wrapped in togetherness
Candle lit dinners for grand occasions
Huge bear hugs offered in utter randomness;
The joyous reunions, the deep communions.

Secret wonders under the tree at Christmas
Unimaginable number of cakes at the festival of lights
Often, uncountable dinners are a must
The after party ending in gales of laughter and pillow fights.

Crispy ‘gateau-piments’ invariably prompt an excited cheer,
May it be a fancy reception or a simple convening;
While the incoherent list of abuses after a rowdy evening
Is logically explained by generous sips of our national beer.

Here the cold compels me into dark mood
Nothing comes close to home’s spiritedness
Nothing matches mum’s Love and dad’s companionship
Nothing can soothe away the gnawing fear.

Nothing like the sound of waves singing over the ocean
Nothing like the feel of the sand on one’s feet
Nothing like the rays of the sun over a velvet blue sky
Nothing like the lullaby of one’s motherland.