Custom Search

When Time Paused

by Lakshmi Menon
(Bangalore, India)

Rain always takes me back
to the windows of my classroom,
where I once leaned my cheek against the cool glass
and watched the world dissolve in silver threads.

The teacher’s voice would drift,
half-lost beneath the steady drumming,
and my pencil wandered too—
filling margins with clouds and umbrellas
instead of answers.

The air smelled of chalk and wet wool,
and shoes squeaked faintly in the hall.
Outside, the playground was a blur,
its bright colors dimmed by weather,
as if childhood itself was paused,
just for an afternoon.

I didn’t know then
how rare such pauses would become,
how the hush of rain could cradle
a restless heart
and make time feel endless.

Now, when the sky darkens
and rain gathers on the glass,
I feel that same stillness—
and the girl I was returns,
dreaming softly
through the storm.

***

Click here to post comments

Return to Poems.