fiteflies

13 years old,

she would sit by the window, 

on the train from Thirchi to Pollachi 

Fireflies lighting up the pitch-black night

beamed a signal to her heart: 

she was leaving behind her school work,

the Sisters with their rules,

the inedible hostel food

towards her grandmother

who would be waiting for her 

at the platform

with hot coffee and idlies

and all the time in the world..

The fireflies flicker kept her going 

on dark days alone in the hostel, 

her two braids that she done up herself 

undone by midmorning, 

the surreptious studying by torchlight

under the sheets after lights out at 8pm, 

the 4 am rush to the toilet 

to beat the queue

the soggy dark greens she had to finish before she left the table 

The green yellow glow of fireflies 

outside the train window,

told her she was heading home.

#jemstones #wip #firefliesprompt #spwm24 #spwm24day25 #opentocrit

flickering told her 

she was leaving all these behind her

for the holidays with her grandmother