Shadows

There was once, accross a street

A little boy who wouldn't eat

No matter how much mama tried

The baby did his best to hide!

The mama wouldn't give up so fast,

She thought and thought, and then at last,

She came up with a clever ruse

And put the nearby wall to use

With evening sunlight on her palms

She swiftly moved her skillful arms,

In a way I thought was, oh! So smart,

To make some lovely shadow art!

She moved her dainty fingers five

To make the wall come alive

With stories, that were ripe and old

And those, unheard and untold

The tales of creatures far away,

And those of mighty palms that sway

The tales of fishes that swim through seas,

And those of shadow birds and bees

The boy watched with twinkling eyes,

And little did he realize

That while he listened to all she said

He finished up all his soup and bread!

But evening sun that shone so bright

Was soon replaced by soft twilight

While the sun sank down below

The shadows too, vanished just so!

"Do not leave, my shadow friends,

I do not want this tale to end"

The baby said with a little sigh,

"Please don't go, or I shall cry!"

Mama hugged the baby tight,

While they stood in the fading light

"Oh my darling, please don't cry,

Oh!  Look there, at the beautiful sky!"

And right there, clad in vibrant hues,

The orange-reds and purple-blues,

Across the sky for over a mile,

Were clouds of every shape and style

A giant bear, on his honey- quest,

A tiny sparrow, in her nest,

All those forests with their trees,

All those butterflies, birds and bees!

All the baby's shadow friends, 

Gone from the wall as evening ends

Were back again in sky as clouds,

To hear the baby laugh out loud!

-Madhuri