Tell a Story
" Let me tell a story ," said nanny ,
"About
those old days so gay ."
So
we crowded round her on the floor
one afternoon , a warm day
.
"
Let me tell you a story , " she piped
voice
shrill , then paused and pondered .
Not sure where to start , her sentence frozed .
We
stared and our minds wandered .
Poor old nanny ,she liked to gesture
and her hand
slightly shaking ,
like the last leaf on a windy day,
and my heart started aching.
Soon sweats rained down Nanny's hot forehead
to wrinkled cheeks
, neck astray .
Outside , stood hot sun and painted trees.
The breeze did not blow this way.
Now and then , our dear
nanny stopped and
a sentence floated away .
Just then a breeze made the wind chime chimed
and drowned what she tried to say .
Thus we sat at close proximity
.
She droned on and on and on .
Nanny's old gray eyes bored into ours .
I dozed and
tried not to yawn .
Voice falter , devoid of emotion ,
she painted pictures of yore
.
The past loomed before us ; the painted
characters of her folklore
.
In the twilight , dim shadows lenghtened .
Some lizards squeaked in the dark ,
while
we sat huddled in one big heap
and listened to tales . Hark! Hark !
A
scream rose to my lips but died there !
The ghost came out ! Yes came out !
The past had sauntered
in like a ghost !
We saw Tom cat prance about !
Sometimes she
stopped for breath .Her knitting
sat on her laps, forgotten .
Then her voice droned on
and on and on
lost in the stories , golden .
By Agatha Lai
©
