Reveille

[I]

The distant story enchanted us

Told of life on wakeup call

The hang of it not got

But adulthood desire cocooned

Winged like a child, open sky

It bore a heroic style

Could not assume the austerity;

The day untested, so far

Sure, goaded us there

On the realm of drill square

No sleep when the journey’s on!

Vein had been a rover

Morning tea was a flair

[II]

Bugle was alarmed on 0400 hours

Talked, torn, tossed on the barrack

Virgin places tortured ton;

Lost all power in pep up talk

The inept winnowed out

Showed no sign of chin up

Looked bizarre in uniform

Took pride in the county name:

The recruits suffered pain, unfelt

Bearded the sure, soared high

[II]

Canvas shoes seemed pinch hard

Morning PT infused guts

Swollen ankles forbid run;

Sick leave on fun: woke up all

Empty hall engulfed seclusion

Raring to go home, breezed in

Duty officer motivated us,

Awe and consternation, ribbed unnamed

Squeezed in shrinking fear,

Militiamen in robes peculiar!

[III]

Untested life, joy oozed in

Army life has been a buoy

On sun down sleeve down coy

An uninitiated pattern destined, designed;

Translated on a fine morn

Eateries were hard to norm,

Inner hunger incited form

Awoke to rise first, fast,

Drill sweated the morning,

Spick and span was the talk

Dropped beret cap got tongue lash,

New habitat took patience drill;

Half hope, half dream flashed in me

[IV]

The reveille sounded the next morning,

Heard the rebel groups, silent, cool

Hummed the camp rules, ajar!

Left the Centre stage halfhearted,

The sound of bugle shelled the hearts

Rent the dream into pieces, shattered!

Nightmare stoned our minds;

Faces of blood boiled in us

Gripped hard, the rough path,

Pared the knotty thoughts, at par

Still wakeup call was the fairer

[V]

Jogged under silver light woke up the village,

Shrugged off morning mood with a neigh!

Flip-flop sounded the DMS shoes,

Nailed hard, soap softened last

Worked huge, tooth and nail;

Resolution, cut and dry

Left home with kids’ sigh!

Drill so strenuous, sigh so men,

Did they bleed on the drill square!

Alibi not accepted on flimsy name,

Some decamped at dead of night;

The barbed wire fencing did they flee

Relived the pent-up life

[VI]

Again, toned up the morale,

Reluctant to RTU (Return to Unit)

Catalytic persuasion won our heart, ever,

Squeezed, crushed but not given up

Stood on our feet, tough

Regained hope of gold days,

Parrot like lesson got us charmed

The reveille sounded again at four!

Embers of hope regained home

The ray of dream got us rousing

We saluted the Drill Square!

Flashed in our inward eye

Homeward on reveille