Those Were The Days: A Poem by Jayashree Bhattacherjee

Enthralled with pieces of the universe in the palms of our hands
Collecting pelting hailstones fallen from the sky and scattered over the land
With the nor'wester sweeping the mangoes off the trees
Wildly we ran to gather them, heart full of glee
Yes, those were the days and that's the way we were
Life so simple, yet in everything there was a charm so fair
No technology was there then sweeping the land, no addiction
We weren't enamored by a digital attachment in our hand, no contraption
There was no hourly text messages, no evening spent over the phone
But had a long walk with friends sharing an ice-cream cone
How we laughed away the hours, smiled over stupidest things
Thinking we could surely fly if we had wings
We lived in a world of fairy tales, oh, those were the days
Barefoot along the track we ran, covering ten kilometers both ways
No worries, no responsibilities, we dreamed then not of wealth or fame
Never had more than we needed, contented we were, all the same
Can all the wealth that now I possess, such happiness procure
As did youthful pleasures bless, when our hearts were transparent and pure ?
Nostalgic I feel always for  those tender links of the days of the old

And round my heart entwined, them, so dear I hold.