HEY YOU... LIZARD!





Hey you Lizard!
My childhood wizard,
Who would drop the tail
And grow it again without fail,
On all your fours,
On the walls and doors,
Everyone shooed you,
But in my drawing books I drew
You with those glistening eyes,
Taking that longish tongue out and catch the flies,
As you swallowed
I watched in awe as your prey travelled
Down your gullet
As Dad took out the airgun bullets
And Maa hung the egg shells
In all the places that you dwelled,
I dropped them all
From the corners and walls,
To keep you safe my little dinosaur,
I wish I could tell you how much I did adore
You and your antics
As you hid away from Maa's searches frantic,
I wanted to cuddle you ,
But was scared of the tantrums that Maa threw
As soon as she caught a glimpse of you,
And then one day I led you to that hole in the wall that I knew,
I knew you could live there peacefully,
Without anyone shooing you away angrily;
I was surprised one day to see two small eggs,
Yes I had seen in pictures that Dinosaurs did lay eggs,
But I was confused 
As well as puzzled,
Till one day I saw the baby dinosaurs,
Yes they were small and they were yours,
My happiness knew no bounds,
I would make frequent rounds
With water and crumbs of bread,
Which sadly, none of you touched,
But still I was happy to see dinosaurs three
And you all belonged to me,
I so loved you,
Cared for you,
But one day when one of the lil ones fell on me
Maa made me go through a rigorous regime,
In the cold she bathed me,
What not did she,
Till I started to sneeze
And Maa got hyper as if I had caught some disease,
Since that day I have been made to stay away
From all you three, with whom I started my day,
But I still love you 
Now look for you 
In the so many grey dinosaurs 
That crawl and creep on all fours,
And I still find it funny
Very uncanny,
How you grow that tail again?
Why do not you feel any pain?
I still look for your tiny eyes those glittered,
When speedily you crawled and scampered,
You still are a little wizard 
In my memories; loved forever dear Lizard!

©Madhumita