Crapaud Balls

As I look down the years
I see my baby brother and me
Playing a lively game of cricket
Every evening in our front yard
Using green limes for balls.

We had ourselves much fun.
And as twilight came on
We still stood around with
Little wooden bats ready.

For as darkness drew nigh
We held our bats up high.
That was to be the hour
For the great crapaud slaughter.

Crapauds make very good balls
For after the first prodding
They become soft and distended
And they bounce around lightly.

We followed the crapauds around
And batted them as they jumped.
Sometimes we terrorized them
By throwing salt on their backs.

Then they grew fatter and
Rounder and jumped even faster.
It was then very great sport
Hitting them for fours and sixes.

Indeed, for years we were
My baby brother and me
Mean little crapaud batsmen.

– Etwaria Singh, New York