Reverie of a Homemaker – A Poem by Hephzibah Florance

The following poem captures the emotions of attending the annual alumni meet 2020

With lock down going on and on
Never seem to end till we part, it seems;
I sit inside my house with kids all day long,
Playing, cooking, cleaning, washing and now teaching too,
A new role added to the already existing maid job.
Now and then I scroll my social media
No more interesting but just the usual chit chats,
I while away my days locked inside my house.
A message I received one day
From a family I parted from long ago
My brothers and sisters, my friends and enemies
A family I cherished and a family I resented.
An invitation to join the alumni meet!
My feeble heart skipped a beat,
As I quickly read the message and lo with a very big smile
I reply almost instantly.
No permission needed,
No budget to worry about,
I danced around in blissful glee.
Finally an event to look forward to,
I waited in silent anticipation.
The day arrived and I turned on my laptop,
My heart going lubdub, lubdub
And my face glowing and blushing,
My kid wonders what’s wrong with me,
As I hastily finish my chores And settle down in front of my laptop.
The beautiful arch, the tower clock and the banyan tree ,
Flash in front of me
As I welcome them into my house.
The little me awakes with a beatific smile,
Oh my family how I missed you,
My hero annas and akkas,
My childhood crush all in front of me ,
As I watch them walk into my house;
I drift away to my sweet home far away,
Singing ,talking ,sharing and chatting the days rolled by.
Laughing out loud my kids wondered how come I laughed,
But seeing me laugh they too joined the fun,
Soon uncles and aunties became household names,
And every evening eagerly anticipated,
But as all events end this too came to an end.
And I bid my adieu sadly,
To my family I loved and missed so long.
And as I went to bed that night
I drifted slowly to the narrow lane leading to the arch;
My heart skipped a beat
As I landed on my alma mater.
Many happy memories and many tearful memories flashed by,
The happy excursions,
The difficult goodbyes to parents,
The tears well concealed behind a sweet smile,
All came back bringing a tear.
And as I just walked along
I saw my crush and gave a smile,
A pleasant exchange of smile and hi’s ,
I walked along drifting further into my own world.
A little sad but still grateful,
I still have a very big family;
A family to love
A family to cherish
A family to hold on
Till death do us part.


A Portrait of the Poet Draped in a Saree

Hephzibah Florance belongs to the class of 1997. She did her B. Com, followed by a PG Diploma degree in Early childhood education. Always a topper at school, she is now a homemaker and loves to write. She enjoys helping children, especially slow learners, with their lessons.

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