Reflections On Childhood Poem by Mohammad Yousef

By Mohammad A.Yousef


In Qurfis Village, where the mountains sigh,
Days were woven with laughter and light,
Mornings stretched like the hazy sun,
In a sturdy one-room school, heartbeats dancing,
Three classes sat, side by side, like branches of a tree,
Sharing whispers, secrets, and dreams.

We learned our numbers, our letters, our songs,
Huddled together, the world outside was vast,
Our small voices echoing in the stillness of the room,
Each lesson a treasure, each smile a gift,
As we showcased our curious minds before the teacher,
Little minds filled with possibilities, bright and bold.

Then came the walk to OQaibi Village,
Three kilometers of dusty paths and wildflowers,
Hope in every footstep, tales shared with friends,
The horizon pulling us closer to a future unexplored,
As we trudged through the heat, the wind whispered tales,
Of dreams born in innocence, of first loves budding.

In the shadows of those rambling trails,
I found my first love in the baby steps of school,
Amidst the echoes of laughter and fleeting glances,
Those innocent thrills, that spark ignited deep,
A reminder of the thrill, that flutter, that ache,
The sweetness of young hearts, unaware of time's passage.

Ah, Tishreen University, where knowledge thrived,
An English Literature banner in a buzzing crowd,
Pages filled with worlds waiting to be discovered,
Among the classics and verses, I learned to leap,
Yet amidst the growth, there it was, hesitation,
The first rendezvous—a clumsy dance, a heart's shiver.

Higher education drew forth lofty dreams,
A PhD in the philosophy of science,
A twist of paths unexplored, boundaries pushed,
Questions that rocked and stirred the mind like storms,
Each theory a mountain, each answer a deep valley,
Yet still grounded by my roots—a narrow lane.

From the echoing halls to the horizon's embrace,
I found my place at the Syrian Company for Oil Transport,
Each day a new lesson, a step into the world,
The childhood laughter trickling back like a soft stream,
The warmth of those days, etched deep in my soul,
A journey from village paths to the wide open skies.

So here I stand,
With memories woven like a tapestry bright,
Reflecting on the days when we dreamed,
In an innocent world, we lived with open hearts—
Those moments still whisper of simpler joys,
Of love, learning, and the paths that led me home.