They are a family of four
Sing and dance for shows
Merely by pulling string from above
Create quite an uproar
Kids love stories which flow
The old man sits in his den
Crafting string puppets with his hands
Two feet in height with wooden heads
Huge nose, large slanted eyes
Dressed in colorful long pleated skirts
He pours his love making them
Whispering folklores of times ancient
Of valour and wars and of women
Jumping into fires to save themselves
To protect their honour and name
When not performing at shows
The family of four stand in a row
On a wooden platform near the door
All-day staring at space, looking bored
While the old man on his cot snores
One night, they jump down on his bed
The warrior, his wife, and two children
Pummel the old man with their heads
“Why are you not paying attention?
We are not puppets, we are for real”!
“We are the Ghosts of the dead
Fought bravely in the Battle of Ajmer
Our homes set on fire by the Mughals
Now don’t narrate history as written
by invaders who captured our nation”.
The old man begs for forgiveness
“Please go back to being my puppets
I will change the story’s narration
Highlighting the bravery of your men”
Ghosts return to being ghosts again
~Snigdha Banerjee Agrawal
Bangalore, India