By Akshara Sharon Bansod, YES Alumni 2014-15
A girl named Franci,
Who was from Italy;
Came to India,
And smiled sweetly.
Initially shy,
And I don’t know why;
When she opened up,
She often seemed high.
She was quick to adjust,
And never would protest;
But if she didn’t like something,
She’d say it with disgust.
She was awesome,
With a pinch of sarcasm;
And whenever she washed her hair,
It would curl up and blossom.
She was sixteen,
And somewhere in between;
In the month of September,
She turned seventeen.
She started school,
And seemed to be cool;
But eating pineapple pizza?
She said, ‘ Only a fool’.
She cooked pasta,
We said it was ‘masta’;
And on a holiday,
She loved taking a siesta.
She would sleep till late,
And stay awake;
Till 2 am sometimes,
And then rush like a snake.
Disorganisation all around,
Everywhere clothes were found;
But that was okay,
As by the family rules she abound.
She liked the spicy food,
And said that it was good;
But after coming from Gujarat,
Her stomach changed her mood.
Now less spices and NO biriyani,
She was nice and always funny;
But sometimes she’d be frustrated,
And instead of ‘honey’, would call me ‘aani’.
A wonderful sister,
And a sweet daughter;
She became family,
By sharing sorrow and laughter.
Road trips and weddings,
Tea time, snacks and singing;
Even the odds and lows,
I am going to miss everything.
The days went by,
And I will not lie;
It feels sad,
To say goodbye.
My words may lack,
As she’s ready to pack;
But let me tell you, Franci,
We love you to the moon and back.
You now have a home here,
Though far, still near;
Connected by heart and Internet,
You will always be in our prayer.
Hope to see you soon again,
And pray that you may always gain;
Everything that your heart desires,
And may our bond sustain.