Nostalgia Poem by Uche Nwanze

Yesterday is gone, swept away like sand.
Growing up so fast, just like yesterday.
Years gone by so fast like the wind.
Yesterday's children now today's grown ups.

I reminisce the ecstatic dance of children dancing in the rain with shouts of rain rain go away. The boisterous chants of boju boju, kids dancing in circles.

The chase by the fierce looking egwugwu or the dreadful ekpo wielding the cane of the spirits.

Yesterday still green as I go down memory lane. The eagerness as we yearn for the sun to go to bed while the moon comes out of her hiding. Ears burning, curious hearts awaits the sweet moonlight tales of mama igbuzor. The cunning tortoise and the grumpy pig, my favourite part.


Yesterday fizzled away like a dream. No one was afraid as we visited each others houses and ate foo too and ofe nsala, we ate to our hearts content.

Days when there was innocence in little children. We played in the red sand, the sand castles we built with our tiny fragile hands. The euphoria of children running around flying paper kites and planes. We had lofty dreams of flying round the world with our paper planes.

I salivate at the thought of mother's sweet akara balls and moi moi, the reward for doing our chores.


Yesterday, days when children bend their knees for the grey hair. Respect for elders was sacrosanct. Honesty and hard work, values we were born with.

I reminisce the thrill in the air as mother comes home from the market, shouts
of Mama anata oyoyo.

Children clapping and singing as baba uwa dance in the streets.

Yesterday may be gone, it still remains fresh like the morning dew. I wish I will wake up and I'll see myself in yesterday's
world.