The Days Gone By

Debjeet Mukherjee

Sunset eventually came,

Amidst ringing of recess bells

When tiffin boxes sprung open,

Despite food getting snatched!

I ran aimlessly once, many times

Slipping in those grey tiles of school;

Pushing past people many

To keep queue for my friends.

Kindle were not there then.

Paperbacks the only hope.

Holidays spent in reading books,

Dust covers getting lost soon.

No deadline to meet.

Feet dirty in evening mud;

Sports with local friends,

Mandatory despite fever high!

Walls of my home, walls of school.

These horizons I knew well,

Forming the bubble of comfort

My haven of limited reach.

Parents watching the 6pm news,

Snacks ready during tea time.

Sunshine to reflect on life,

Giving hope to return soon.

Mom’s warmth and Dad’s income,

Coupled with grandparents’ love

At the best hotel I ever stayed!

Igniting memories down the lane.

But all this passed someday.

Time did not wait to keep.

But I will preserve. I will treasure.

My childhood days forever deep!