Welcome to my 2019 Blogging A-Z Challenge. Each day in the the month of April (except Sundays), I will bring you a memory of games and a jump rope song. It is similar to the classic A My Name Is… Do you recognize the chant? A world of children will greet their friends and skip through the alphabet alliterating their name, a friend’s name, and their home city. They will also state their country, the language they speak, and their favorite game. Descriptions of the games are included. I chose games that are played on playgrounds or streets where children negotiate their teams and terms. You may recognize your favorite games that differ only in name. As the alphabet progresses, it becomes apparent that the pursuit of laughter and fun are universal.
Hailo, mitron!
B my name is Bheru
I live in Bhopal, India
My friend’s name is Bodhi
We like to play Posham Pa
We speak Hindi
And now we’ll say “Alavida!”
Posham Pa
Two children stand facing each other holding hands and arms raised forming a bridge. The players pass under the bridge while singing the Posham Pa song. On the last line, bridge-makers put down their arms, “imprisoning” whoever is under the bridge. Once a child is caught, he/she must go behind one of the bridge-makers and hold unto his/her back. This is repeated until half of the children are behind the bridge-maker while the other half of children are behind the other bridge-maker. Then, with the bridge-maker still holding hands, the children behind each of them try to pull them apart.
Poshampa bhai poshampa
Lal quiley me kya hua
Sau rupaye ki ghadi churai
Ab toh jail mein aana padega
Jail ki roti khani padegi
Jail ka paani peena padega
Ab toh jail me aana padega!
Posham pa, posham pa,
What did the postman see?
One hundred rupees stolen,
Now they have to go to jail,
They’ll eat bread in jail,
They must drink water in jail,
Now they have to go to jail!
References:
Antoinette Truglio Martin is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. The memoir is a wimpy patient’s journey through her first year of breast cancer treatment.
Stories Served 
This post made me so nostalgic. I have a group of friends who grew up elsewhere in India and they never believed that such a game existed. This post gave me evidence to show them that there is a game called posham pa.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Could you tell me if the hello and goodbye are translated correctly. This game is like the London Bridge Is Falling Down. Do you have a favorite game I can add to my master list? I am looking for authenticity.
LikeLike
Aha! This brought back some childhood memories. We used to play Posham Pa as kids.While I was reading the hindi song, I was singing it in my head the way we used to do years ago, Thanks for some lovely memories. 🙂
Shilpa Garg #AtoZChallenge
LikeLike
Wonderful to know that I am making smiles.
LikeLike
Posham pa bhai poshampa, you took me back to my childhood in seconds. Your intro with mitro says a lot about your connection and research. Thanks for the share.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the kind words
LikeLike