A happy farmer family
PS Limboo “Nishchal”
Sunsari, Nepal
The dawn’s gonna crack,
The rooster crows alarm clock!
“Sanee’s papa, Sanee’s papa,Sanee’s Papa,”
Wife of farmer- sleeping beside him -wakes him up.
She starts frying maze in handi*
Farmer yawns and gets out with water in a vessel,
And washes his face and uses his cap to dry it.
Both sit on a mat and eat fried maize as breakfast with black tea with salt.
He steps off intending to stride, pauses at the door,
Wife understands what he expects.
She rushes to him and hugs him,
While he kisses her.
Both wish each other for great day.
It’s the winter season,
Time to plough the field for sowing maize.
Famer carries plough and yoke tied with plough shaft
Haha** Furke***, haha haha Tikhe***– chases the oxen to yoke them.
The land lies behind a precipice,
Sun rays visit him as chief guest and disappear.
He takes a break, letting the oxen rest,
He smokes blowing cloud of smoke looking around.
Wife brings him lunch-
Soup of fermented dried vegetable leaves.
Spicy curry of yam,
And porridge of millet flour.
Farmer couple enjoy the dish.
Both hug each other,
With the promise of meeting soon.
Wife takes her way home
While husband continues ploughing.
The horizon gets blushed as a shy beautiful lady,
Indicating the farmer to prepare to go home.
He unyokes the oxen and chases them back home,
Ties them in oxen shed and gives them hay
And hot soup made of leaves of pumpkin.
“Sanee’s papa,”wife calls him,
“Diner is ready, let’s eat, our daughter is hungry.”
The small farmer family- farmer couple,
And their only daughter Sanee enjoy the dinner.
*a flat-bottomed earthern pot
** word used to control/guide oxen/cows
*** Names of the oxen