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Beneath Tropical Skies - ESS Memories
By Parvin D. Syal. Graduating class of 1964 |
The quadrangle, beneath tropical skies
Monday morning assemblies, non-denominational prayers
Tyros in a new school, fidgeting from tight collars
Under stiff neck ties and blazers purple,
Uneasy on young shoulders.
Disciplined walk to the new classrooms, new teachers
New desk-mates, new books handed out for subjects
New after the KPE hurdle.
Wow, the auditorium huge, labs spanking new
Bunsen burners and stinky chemicals an experience new.
Over the passage of time, newbies no more
"Spaceman" Mangat leads, P.A. Patel pleads
Xavier D'Souza makes Pascall interesting
UT.S. Deol injects life into circulation-
Colorful drawings on the board, copied meticulously,
"Medulla Oblongata" suddenly a word of the lexicon.
"You the donkey" S.P. Sood chides, between maps
Of Kenya and Tanganyika, as Mr. H. Briggs charts
The course between "Borough and Council" painfully
Reminding that Kenya is still a Colony.
Hashmi rapping knuckles, Sharama M'kubwa gliding
Through cosines, Sharma N'dogo being historic,
Roshan Khanna interpreting Macbeth, F.A. Mendonca
Recounting "The History of Mr. Polly"-all this
"Far from the Madding Crowd."
And on the field, Balwant S. Shant, still bellowing
"Angu simama, wewe kaata."
And we fight over whether Cliff Richard betters Elvis
And the auditorium always packed for
"The Young Ones" and "Blue Hawaii."
Niger battles Nile, Zambezi strives to better Congo
Sports day always enthusing- Annual Prize Day,
Interesting for the "Brainies"- boring the rest,
Salvaged only by Samosas, always crunchy, and
Curried peas in bottles of coke, always fizzing.
Form four soon over- the long wait for February
And move on to another school
Another phase of life, another
Monday morning assembly, beneath tropical skies. |
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| At the Royal Show 1964 (sent by Parvin Syal) |
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