Memory Lane Poem by Marietta Pereira

Walking down memory lane,
My heart wrenches in nostalgic pain,
At the thought it'll never, ever happen again.

My mind's eye sees flashes
Of faces and places long gone by...

Of classrooms and teachers;
Of ribbons and tiffins;
Of long, lazy summers and cosy, cuddled-up winters;

Of fairytale books and furtive looks;
Of junk food and pickles;
Of crushes and puppy love.

Of gully cricket;
Of being bitten by the chicken-pox bug;
Of lectures bunked and subjects, well,
- almost flunked

Of college picnics and movie tickets;
Of church choirs and sitting round the fire.

The voices, the choices, the favourite haunts
With friends I hung out with -

Once so near,
Now draw a wistful smile and
A bitter-sweet tear......

Marietta –D’Lima- Pereira