Head I lose, tail I lose

Head I lose, tail I lose

 

“Head I lose, tail I lose”

Me, the recalls oft amuse

the recalls of all my losses

to my elder brother over tosses.

The craft that only he taught me

earning Mum’s pat on this plea

as no time, I had then to distract her

being engrossed in this thriller

“Throw the coin up, let it fall down

with luck yours may be the crown.”

Deceitfully brother used it

me,to outwit

to offload his part of the labor

on my shoulder.

His tosses were trickish

that proved me too foolish.

as them, I cpuld not fathom

despite gaining wisdom

with age and experiences.

My ego digested my grievances.

To me he was eight years elder.

Offloaded he on me his share of labor

blunting my childhood sword of tear

maneuvering the tosses in his favor.

To find a winner between us

adopted he, ways numerous

teaching me the logic behind each

agreed I, as logic were beyond my reach

From touching one of his fingers

to picking up one from balls of papers,

counting numbers pver me and him

many more such as per his own scheme.

Lost I to him on each of their executions

being harassed begged mum’s interventions

On mums loud scream and shout

perhaps on his cheating bout

tossing of a coin to decide a winner

was enforced then by irate mother

To parry brother’s tricks in excitations

I was taught well of his manipulations.

Nestled by rivers

my village figures

with her grandeurs

far from urban roar.

There I was born

till teens, was grown

enjoying and enduring

at times crazing

for modern amenity

as one of them was electricity

to illumine the dark night

and from heat to give respite,

In its absence for such relief

we used fans of palm leaf

with manual rotation

by any person.

With mother, we two

shating the bed we grew.

After our lunch and dinner

without waiting for mother

to sleep, we used to come together

then toss decided the winner

to exercise the option

to rotate the fan as first person.

There starts my story

for me a cherished misery

My brother is no more

his tricks, I ardently adore.

Rotation of fan manually

thus we both decide mutually

By each of us turn by turn

per head one hundred rotation

till one sleeps to snore

or mother takes over

Once imitating his fake sleep

acted I as if I am asleep

to dodge the fanning labor

Heard I, mother’s laughter

when I raised my hand sky-bound

to prove that I was sleeping sound.

Reacted I from within with a murmur

Mum is partial to her son elder.

As I was unaware of the number

counting was done by my brother

When I rotated first as a winner.

never came that magic number

but when as a winner

opting to rotate after my brother

hundred came much earlier

relieving him from the labor.

When counting I knew

and to his tricks the clue

by that time to a hostel, he went.

only vacations with us he spent..

Waited I for his vacation

to get from him candy and toys of fun.

The avenge was forgotten

the losses, the love had overrun.

Then to please him as the younger brother

I used to rotate the fan for his slumber

I looked eagerly for his order

keeping in mind presents in the future

“Head I lost and tail I lost “

The sibling love will never exhaust

 

P K Routray

on the service of Lord