Lost In Nostalgia Poem by Augustine Ogechukwu Nwulia

Childhood was sweet and creamy,
before the bitter madness of adulthood.
A thousand offences and spanks
yet, with scars of correctness;
inking our moments on the blank sheet.

Our hairs unkempt,
Our games; restless, and mischievous.
Scooping large holes in the ground
to bury seeds in the farm; trap-hunting
through the bushy acres of farmland.

A ceaseless dose of ecstasy.
With endless fun and escapades;
we gave boredom a good fight.
Scrambling up the top of mango trees;
like monkeys, feasting on coloured fruits.

With thunder bangs and flashes of lightening
fuming in anger to tear the heavens apart.
At wet days, the lads would jump into
the soft and sticky red earth to dance;
and play the 'egwu`mmili' - rain game.

At moonlight, we gather and spin circles
to play the hide-and-seek game.
Mothers' crafty errands
to oblivion in search of 'ọmụ`waeli'
- absolute nothingness!

The young girls would whisper
in nervous excitement
the name(s) of their secret admirer(s)
while the boys; would drive
their father's bicycle to impress.

We sprinkled laughter
here and there;
wherever anger was threatening.
We trod and crooked through
the hilly and rough roads of exuberance.

A little bit of this,
a little bit of that..
Our regaling stories into life-journey
Yes! The good-old-days are gone,
leaving behind the nostalgic memories.