Rome Was Not Built In One Day

Rome was not built in one day,
I know it,
The garden was also not built in one day.
It underwent
stages of transformation;

1st it was a plot
with some swings,
we used to play,
the big boys broke them,
and in summers,
cricket they used to play,
in the monsoons,
(a pond),
swimming and sail paper boating
they used to play.

Then after y-e-a-r-s
(the garden predates me)
they decided to build it,
an elaborate thing,
A jogger’s park,
a nana-nani park,
a children’s park,
all in front of my house.
With a huge ornamental piece of grass in the centre
all empty, (why)

1st they cultivated it,
different kinds of grass,
Different kinds of flowers,
sometimes beautiful,
then suddenly! All yellow
Now they want to turn the centre
into a badminton court
Rome was not built in one day,
I know it,
The garden was also not built in one day.
(still not ready)


A small plot of land
Many people
Many ideas
Some religious
(religion was kept at bay,
The garden is a place to play)
Some politicians,
Lots of time



Whatever it is,
better it is,
or else we still wouldn’t play,
In summers,
cricket they would play
in the monsoons,
swimming and sail paper boating
they would play.




My country
B
I
G
Piece of land

L O T S of time…