Viridescent hues surrounded her. Myriad shades of emerald as far as the eye could see. Vast carpets of grass calling out to be tread on. Rustling leaves whispering invitingly to come peek behind to catch a glimpse of the whites and pinks of the cherry blossom they cloaked.
Dappled sunlight played hide n seek through the canopy of winter’s once gnarled branches now preening in their new foliage. A gentle breeze wafted by intermittently, lazily, teasing her dupatta to billow out, before rushing back to her. Whipping up errant strands of her hair, cloaking the world from her hazel eyes. Tresses which rejoiced in the freedom of being away from the one who never failed to overpower them, determinedly tucking them back.
She made her way to her favourite oak tree, heedless of the beckoning beauty of the others along the way. Loyal to a fault, as always. Uncaring of the dust she sank down against its inviting trunk. Wishing it would fold her in its arms and let her sleep. For evermore.
Unwillingly, high pitched shrieks and giggles made their way to her. Deeper remonstrating voices accompanying them. Tinged with indulgence. The sounds of tiny feet rushing, the thuds of bouncing balls, the thwack of willow, the accompanying gleeful screams, all swirled around her.
Yet, inside of her, an oppressive silence reigned. All consuming. Drowning. Leaving her a mere shadow of the chirpy, vibrant person who had personified her name. Aeons back.
She stared, hypnotised, at a woodpecker relentlessly going about its business. Drumming rhythmically. Unceasingly. Its goal the insects lying hidden in the silver birch. Food for its young ones. Its babies.
Babies.
My baby.
Why my baby, Devi Maiya?
Note:
I wrote this based on a prompt given on a Leisure Writing IF thread. The words to be incorporated were Tree, Silence and Hypnotise. So, this is what came to mind. As ever, ArHi are never far!
❤
Expect the unexpected is the takeaway from this magnificent piece… In just a few words, you have made the reader feel an array of emotions, visual painting it in front of us. I walked alongside her on a summer day with the sun beckoning to only stop to find the lingering cloud above. Following her on the journey of life. Beautiful, beautiful beautiful… can I be selfish and ask for more?
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You have the haq to ask me for anything 😘 Having you walk alongside on a day is the best feeling 🤗
Thank you for this beautiful banner. ❤️
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😘🤗😘🤗
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A summers day in all its glory in sharp contrast to her pain and detachment.
👏
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Thank you , Monica 😘
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Poetry in pain, threads woven so tight that I couldn’t find my way out. I wasn’t sure that was even an option, no exit sign posted. Your words bound me tighter than the knots of those knarled tree trunks!
Take what you will from this , I know I will.
Those dusty footprints that fit into my palm, that make way into my heart.
Thank you for this brief trust! What a lovely rendition my dearest friend! Stray they are not, reflecting momentary moments they are for sure.
💖
—MB
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“Take” I will, my dear Mirabell, keeping you with me to bask in the beauty of your words 😘
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“Tryst” not trust! 😠
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Beautiful……no words
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Thank you!
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Ruchi .. Hugs .. It’s the ones we never get to know .. We yearn for them more .. We listen to the silence as it resonates the loudest .. We ask why and then we ask why again ..
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( I pressed enter too soon ) .. The summers day provides warmth .. Embracing you as would the little one .. There will be days where tears will mingle with raindrops .. And days where the brutal cold will cut straight through .. An emptiness with it xxxx
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Simply beautiful, Sita 😘
There will be all of those days. And even days when desperate glimpses are sought for lost ones in the ones that are there.
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A perfect picture of a summer day.🌸
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Thank you!
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Thank you for introducing me to the beautiful
world of words. Simply superb.
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Thank you so much!
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Beautiful.
Beautifully written about her pain when everything is so vibrant in a lovely summer day.
Even in such a day can’t make her pain go away. In such a short way you have shown given us a whole story.
Marvellous ruchi.
Archna
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Archna, thank you so much. It’s always lovely when your underlying words are understood by the reader. 🤗
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Very emotional.
A loss so deep that all the natural beauty around her, reminds her of her loss.
A loss so deep that has made her forget who she was, once.
Very beautiful Ruchi.
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Kavi, thank you so much!
Grief has a way of consuming your entire being, doesn’t it?
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longing…loneliness…loss…I wonder what all had she suffered.And Arnav????
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Arnav would have his own grief to bear. I shall leave to it to you to decide who is shutting out whom … 🙂
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Silence can be a persons loudest cry .
The soul always know what to do to HEAL itself , but the challenge is to silence the mind .
Awesome writing Ruchi
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Very, very well said! It is that internal conflict that has to be fought first before the outside even gets a look in.
Thank you so much! 🤗
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I loved it.!.!!.welcome back di.!.!!i am poetically unsound with words but appreciation is in abundance.!.!muah:)cheers d
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And your appreciation is always charming! Thank you 🤗
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Aww.!.!😘
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Beautiful, yet painful. Your a gifted writer my friend please write more, there’s a lot of talent in there waiting to be devoured by us all. Thank you Ruchi. Hugs
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Sorry, your should read You are …
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Hugs right back, Anu. Thank you so much! ☺️
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Beautiful but sad one
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Thank you!
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Beautiful depiction Ruchi! How do you weave this magic all the time when you write….you are blessed just like a rose which speaks in the language of it’s fragrance…your talent speaks when you pen it down! Hugs xoxoxo
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Eka, you humble me with the warmth and beauty of your kind words, Thank you so much! 🤗
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Beautifully written☺
Her pain is so much deep & she’s surrounded by all natural beauty, playing children which reminds her loss very emotional update 😢
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Thank you so much, Ashu!
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😊 r we getting to read it further ?
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No! 😀
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Ohh so sad 😢
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YES!!!
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Uh …
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Hum…
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Wow you have captured the essence in totality. The contrast of a warm beautiful day and the inner turmoil perfectly portrayed.
Beautiful Ruchi
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Thank you so, so much 🤗
That turmoil leaves behind a coldness, that no amount of outside warmth can lessen.
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Yes 🤗
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Beautifully written Ruchi..iam loss of words… Beautiful day and fighting with demon’s…we can not forget, sometimes it’s Soo precious that it’s very hard to let it go….
Cheers..
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Thank you so much! 🤗
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Ohh that was really heart touching.beautifully written
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Thank you! 😘
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Calm is the armour worn by the most beaten ,who have learnt to survive as the strongest. They relish in the serenity the nature offers. Silence is their weapon against more turmoil, yet so powerful that words can’t stand it.
It was pure bliss reading such a poignant and heart touching piece. Truly heart rendering.
Thank you for such an insightful summer day that evokes the memories of all seasons.
That last lament, ‘ my baby’, is soulful.
Loved it! 😊
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Such beautiful words ❤
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Thank you. 🙂
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Exquisite, just exquisite. Your words, your thoughts, your understanding! Thank you ❤️
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Thank you. 🙂
My pleasure.
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The fine summer day completely in contrast to what khushi is going through
Words are beautifully weaved together
Kudos girl ..more power to you ❤️❤️
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Thank you so much! 😘
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It was so beautifully written even though it was emotional
Loved how you described the pain and the loss.
Would love to read more.
Thanks
Chinnulu
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Thank you for your warm words 😘
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Beautiful emotional piece, can picture the scenery on the vivid description. Regards lily30 from IF
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Thank you! It’s always lovely to know your words can create images that a reader can visualise. ☺️
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Bravo
That was too good ruchi
Good to see u back with a bang
A short but a soulful one
Beautiful indeed – can I ask for more dear
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Thank you so, so much! ❤️
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Beautifully penned 🙂
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Thank you, Dahlia! 😘
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This is beautiful dear Ruchi! Your writings are always so poetic and deep!
This was such a contrast – the vibrant hues of summer to her pain!
Simply alluring!
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And your thoughts are always so warm and lovely. Thank you! 😘
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Please do write more. We are missing out on your beautiful words…
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Wow just wow.. from d start it sends me bk to my hindi poetry & prose classes where i have re read again just to get d depth & beauty of a piece correct.. u r one of d writers for whom i thanks jigs.. its my 1st comment on your work.. but this one i can feel it deep.. being on threshold of being a mother this resonates deep in my heart.
Truly magic of words..
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Thank you so much for your kind words. Sending you the warmest of wishes for the coming blessing 🤗
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Thank u😊
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Beautifully written…,,emotional n the pain z so wonderfully penned just in a few words…would like to read more ruchi
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Thank you so much! 😘
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This was really heart touching
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Thank you 🤗
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A vivid picture of beauty and nature opened to pleasure the senes witha beautiful summer day only to halt at the loss of such magnitude to dimnish this beauty.
Words, so eloquently written that each emotions speaks a story of its on.
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Thank you so much, my dear RKji 🤗
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Speechless or should I say wordless , that was beautiful, the pain of such a unbearable loss is not easy
to write about without being maudlin but you have done it wonderfully.
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Thank you so much for your kind words. 🤗
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It’s sheer poetry in the garb of prose. But where is her soulmate??
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Thank you ☺️
Her soul has lost a piece of itself. As has her soulmate. I’ll leave it for you to choose who is keeping out whom 🙂
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Absolutely wonderful..
Superbly written..
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Thank you!
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Very creative writing..it feels like you are beautifully explaining a picturesque beauty in the front..
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Thank you, Anitha!
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Simply beautiful i am at loss of words
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Thank you!
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Hello friend
Amazingly written
Beautiful piece of writing there.
Loved it
Thank u
Just4this from IF
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Thank you, Mamta!
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That was one powerful and a beautiful piece written…
😍
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Thank you so much! ☺️
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Beautiful piece.. I could see everything with your words..
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Thank you! 🙂
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Absolutely beautiful! Heartbreaking!!
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Thank you! 🙂
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A fervent piece…. clearly depicts Khushi’s pain of having lost her baby even though she is in the midst of a beautiful summer day! Could picture her sitting under the oak tree watching children play. Could see her expressive face blankly starring at all the beauty of the season and could feel the pain of losing ones child in your words.
Beautifully written, hope we get to read more!
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Thank you so much for your warm words. Her blank expression as she turns into herself, trying to make sense of her loss is just how I had visualised it 🙂
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Her pain of having lost her baby…last sentence is enough to understand…brillinat job…touching story…
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Thank you so much! ☺️
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A summer day so beautifully described through her eyes.. vibrant hues and so much liveliness around her yet she is in so much pain!! She can see people happy around her yet she is not.
Beautifully described Ruchi!!! 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Lots Of Love.. 🙂 🙂
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Thank you so much! 🤗 😘
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From now on I will call you Roo’ ( Rooh), because everyone you wrote something,it touches my Rooh. So beautifully written..
Loved it.
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That’s just so sweet, Hetal! Thank you ☺️🤗
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Hello Ruchi di or Roo’ ji,
Technically, the summer is still on, so I am on time.
When half the words go over my head, I know I am at the right place. This time with a pen and paper in my hand. Yes, Chokri ji my dictionary is still lying untouched and I have begun making a list.
Every single time you leave the reader with a loss of words. Is this a natural trait? Where do we bring them from when you write about nature’s beauty like you may have created it. I can justify the statement. Every evening my mum and I watch the live telecast from The Golden Temple, Amritsar via PTC channel. Recently, they have started displaying translations of the scripture/s for youngsters to understand and it leaves the both of us satisfied spiritually at the end of the day. Reading your work, makes me realize you have reached a level which many want to attain. You are gifted and your humility towards the same astounds me.
A lay man needs to have a true sense to understand what you want to convey. There is a reason when friends and fans here ask you to write more. But then, it struck, you already are the master of the art and do not need practice! Rarely, you pen down but when you do, it leaves an everlasting impact. One can easily re-read every word you write, to cherish life in abundance.
The way you bind things (I am sure there is a better word) is amazing. There is a lot of thought in not just the flow of narration, but the way in which descriptions are done, a tale weaved along, leaving us wanting for more.
Now I cannot stop wondering, when will you start an FF or a short story? It is time consuming and you take your work very seriously. But, do you ever think about it? You are a regular reader, anek writeron ko break de dijiye, please.
Oops, forgot to mention about the tale – I like how you took up the writing challenge and have left every one spellbound. Do you ever meet expectations? Because I think you always exceed them. Children – I think parents exist in this world only for them. This is a blessing which all living organisms endure. Khushi is strong is what I can gather. Was it her perspective about the beautiful summer’s day that we read about? If so, that allows me to appreciate her even more because she has the strength to indulge in nature to know what she is missing, use it as a medium to both repent and appreciate the beauty simultaneously.
Zeffy
P.S – Jigs ji the banner is stunning!
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Setting aside the technical, you are welcome here at any time Zeffy 🤗
You leave me overwhelmed with all the praise you heap upon me! Sach mein, kya bolu main?! Thank you, dil se ☺️
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Hello Ruchi di,
Oh why did I have to turn off the email notifications! I missed your reply.
Thank you for your sweet words. Your humbleness is beautiful.
Has IPK 3 piqued your interest?
Also, heard about London news a few mins ago. Hope all is well.
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IPK 3 has certainly got me intrigued!
The indiscriminate violence we are seeing today is horrendous. Where will it all end.
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Lovely! I am definitely looking forward to your take on the show now. What did you garner from the promo?
There seems to be no fear left in the minds of crime-committers. Hopefully stricter measures are taken soon to make people feel safe.
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Ruchi sis,
your words are brilliant!!.it’s an art to express the beauty and rawness of one’s pain..her inner world and outer worlds are contrast to each other..you captured the beauty of a summer day perfectly sis..however the surrounding world is ,A mother’s heart always in her child na..
the banner is perfect!!
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You are so right, a mother’s heart is always with her child.
Thank you so much for your warm words. 🤗
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Hello I’m here 🤓 In all the ongoing chaos of ipk1 vs ipk 3 here I found the sweetest brief lines that reminded me of a laad gavernar and titliya and their choti si duniya no one can compete nor can replace that sweetness if only people realised it 😒😭
Cheers Ruchi di if I may call you that 😘
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Their choti khushi is lost 😭Bring back Khushi back where’s the laad governor hiding he better make it all right he’s after all ASR 😕
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It will be my pleasure to have you call me that 🤗
The sweetness of our memories remain with us hamesha ❤️
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Hi Ruchi di,
How is the week headed?
Just wanted to share that the weather is pleasant and summer is receding. Phew, glad I was on time! 😀
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Your ‘A Summer’s day’ Transported me to our local park. It feels that you could have written about my park. Wonderful description of the flowering Cherry trees and huge oak trees lining the children’s playground. One never knows what goes on a person’s mind when they sit under the tree watching kids play. A mum missing her child or someone like me remembering the time spent with young nephew Sachin playing cricket.
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Thank you, Ferdi 😘
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