Times in Goa

The sun’s up, so I’m up,

Swirling round the house in my nightdress,

Toasting the bread and buttering the toast,

Making quite a dreadful mess.

 

Change into shorts and a top,

To ease the summer’s heat,

Now I’m helping mama clear the table,

And soon everything’s nice and neat.

 

Then I run outside in delight,

Feeling the morning sun on my bare arms,

Stroking my dog, whose name is Duke,

Enjoying his furry feel against my palms.

 

I hear the fisherman’s horn, going ‘ponku-ponku’,

And watch our maid rush out to buy some,

I listen to her chatter in Konkani and strike a bargain,

And then, arms full of fish, home she’ll come.

 

She calls to me to tie Duke with the other two dogs,

But as soon as she is gone, well,

I untie both dogs and they lick me,

But then I wince as Grandma gives me a yell.

 

‘Oi, baby, why did you untie the dogs?

Tie them again, all three!’

‘Yes Grandma,’ I whimper,

And I tie them, whispering, ‘Sorry!’

 

I soon get the dogs out of my mind,

As I rush to my tyre swing,

And as I push myself up and down,

‘Oh sweet life!’ I sing.

 

Then our maid comes out again,

This time with a knife and the fish,

And I watch in rapt horror and attention,

As heads bounced and eyes went squish.

 

‘Want to help?’ she asked, catching me watching,

‘No, no,’ I say feeling my stomach heave,

‘You go on; I’ve got more work to do.’

And with that at once I leave.

 

So I go indoors and switch on the television,

But Daddy comes in and turns it off,

‘Come out and learn to wash a car!’

‘I already know how,’ I scoff.

 

So out I go, to find my brother,

He was already scrubbing the bonnet,

‘Yippee,’ I thought joyfully,

‘Now at least I can get someone wet!’

 

Soon I was walking off in a huff,

Because my brother wasn’t the one to get soaked,

And got myself a change of clothes,

Angry that my idea hadn’t worked like I’d planned.

 

My anger fizzed away as Grandpa approached,

‘Good morning,’ I said, hugging him hard,

‘Morning,’ he said. ‘I need your help,

An upstairs window needs to be barred.’

 

So up I went, with my beloved Grandpa,

To fix that rusty window bar,

And after we were done, my reward!

A sweetie from the chocolate jar.

 

I went over to my neighbours’ and we walked to the park,

And soon we were going down the slide,

The sun was still casting golden light all around,

‘Ah, the times in Goa,’ I smiled and sighed.

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