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Raju the Pink Cow

by Liz Yepsen

Raju couldn’t sleep.
He tossed and he turned,
For inside his mind,
Excitement–it burned.

Tomorrow, Sankranthi!
To celebrate Sun.
Of all of the holidays,
This was the best one.

Tomorrow the cows
would all wake up at nine,
they’d yawn and they’d stretch
and get into a line.

The line would stretch hours
and go so so SLOW.
The closer he was
The more slow it’d go.

After all of that time
and one very hard wait
Raju would get colored
Like sunshine–with paint!

The farmers and children
colored cows, every one!
They colored the cows
bright yellow, like sun.

Because Sankranthi meant sunshine
and the end of the rains,
and a good growing season
for the farms on the plains.

Somewhere in those thoughts
of the grains he would reap
and the bountiful harvest
Raju fell asleep.

He dreamt only a little
and nighttime flew by.
When raju awoke
the sun was quite high.

He rushed out of bed!
No one was around
No brothers or sisters
No cows to be found.

Quick, to the field!
What a rush he was in –
on THIS, of all mornings,
How could he sleep in?

When he got there he saw
the line stretched a long way.
What horrible luck!
He’d be waiting all day!

So Raju, determined,
waited his turn
while the others went dancing
his jealousy burned.

He tried to breath slowly,

and not tap his toes.
How he hated to wait,
but so waiting goes.

And when it was his turn,
He jumped up with glee-
He could hardly hold still
How pretty he’d be!

When the painting was through
and Raju’s turn was done,
his farmer dismissed him,
to prance in the sun.

He burst out of the shade,

through the feild he went tearing.
All the cows turned to look–

what could he be wearing?

As he slowed from a run
one by one their jaws dropped.
They were laughing at him!
And there Raju stopped.

He noticed it then-
he couldn’t quite think.
How could this have happened?
He was painted bright PINK!

They were starting to laugh now,
Do SOMETHING he thought!
But what? His head shouted.
Raju was distraught.

As he rose to his feet
He knew what he’d say
Because this was Sankranthi!
This was his day!

Raju straigtened up
on all fours, he stood proud.
Pink Raju cleared his throat
and addressed the cow crowd.

I’m pink and I like it!
like the flowers of spring.
The Gods will still love me
And harvests they’ll bring.

It was quiet one moment
or maybe just two
but when loud cheering started
the quiet was through.

The cows cheered for Raju
and the end of monsoons;
they cheered for the bounty
and fat harvest moons.

Thats not the whole story
of Raju the Pink Cow
Thats just one Sankranthi
But thats all for now.