Ah! those days of unbridled joy…

 make me nostalgic

 as I recount the saga with fondness

 the vistas of pure fun and frolic

 My oversized satchel  housed nuggets of happiness

 my first bi-cycle that incurred envy of many

 and I rode with elan, let spirits soar high

 my infatuations and first love …

 my indulgences and much more

 are hung to mind’s wall

 like an exquisite framed photograph

 they painted my world in colours of rainbow

 spawned dreams drenched in nuances of furore

 and I poured every drop of me to salvage

 absolute tryst with core

 Some episodes per se were gory …

 sobs, pain teemed my story

 I mourned, cried bitterly grieving the loss of  dear ones

 cursed fate for not supporting stance

 my eyes welled up, pensive mood filled platter

 I was haunted by loneliness

 and words were spelt with tears

 At last, I found shelter in the alleys of silence

 slowly  learnt to cope with sorrow

 acted along dotted lines of perseverance

 peace of mind, I tried to find

 beyond  the gleaming side of life

 by then, I had realised that…

 only a painful heart, dares to merge with the source

 and pines for the sublime.

                                                                     ~ Sujata Dash

                                                                            Bhubaneswar, India