! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! A Ladybird In The Grass! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Poem by Mamta Agarwal

Sitting by a forest brook
On the grass under a tree;
Just my little girl and me
I read to her from a book.

Suddenly she called from afar.
Ladybird, lady bird in the grass.
She picked and put it in her palms
And then carefully kept it in a jar.

While feeding it some grass
Looking puzzled she asked me:
How did it get its name nani?
Is it because its dainty she asked.

It does have wings, I said.
It’s just a colourful insect
Yet isn’t it so very perfect?
God has made it well dressed.

Perhaps that’s why the name.
Maybe it’s really no mistake.
She bit into her cup cake
And said it’s all the same.

Dear, God has eyes for details.
Whether it’s a creature big or small
You know, He loves them all.
She nodded and shook her pig tails.

Intrigued I searched the net.
Found myths and beliefs abound
Held in high esteem all-round.
By then Anika had named her pet.