'And so ... goodnight'

Date: 08.03.2007
Time: 2:15 p.m.

A patch of grass, trodden but soft
The holder of memories that now grow dim
A waft of air, with fragrance sweet
Breezes past the trees so trim.

A bird flies ahead, its wings spread out
Beating back and forth ’gainst the air with innate ease
The weary traveller stands stock still
Invigorated by all she sees.

Images bring forth the joys of yesterday
Fleeting glimpses of years long past
The little girl stands no more
How did those years fly by so fast?

Radiant faces, flushed and bright
The exhilaration of a ‘worthy’ fight
Gentle words, serene and kind
That led out of the darkness, into the light.

The spot where two friends first shared their views
Caressed in memory, ne’er forgot
Those lanes traversed, unchanged, of a mystic hue
The misty clouds, the raindrops caught.

Days spent chasing after the wind
In pursuit of dreams, ethereal beings
Figments fade, but dreams never do
The ‘child is grown’, but the hope still sings.

Delusions, disillusionment ― all a part of life
Nothing to challenge the soul and there is no spice
But the lessons learnt, carried forward
Steady the boat when life rolls the dice.

Snatches of a conversation return to her ears
Heard long back, yet immortal and clear
Triumphing over obliviating time
Treasured for long and forever dear.

Under the same blue sky she stands
As the ones who walked before her did
With one last glance at the familiar ties
That must now be wrenched apart and rid.

That journey has ended; it is now time to leave
A new one awaits, there are new people to greet
Yes, ‘parting is such sweet sorrow’
For who knows whether we shall again meet?

Yet memories remain, echoes of the past
To take comfort in when the days are long
The traveller must now go forth and embark
On the new adventure, which will test the strong.

Breathing in nostalgia
Stealing another look at old days so bright
She steels herself to face the unknown
The chapter is ended, ‘and so … goodnight’.