- 18. Golden Pages of Childhood
What was my childhood like?
Falling asleep to grandmother’s lullabies,
getting lost in grandma’s stories.
Running behind mother with her scarf,
crying “Papa, Papa,”
and being lifted in father’s arms,
held close to his chest.
At just one smile of mine,
the whole house would light up.
If I said anything,
grandfather would carry the whole world for me.
When grandma arrived,
my joy would overflow.
They were my own,
and it was the love of my loved ones.
In what world I was,
and in what world I have come—
what was my childhood like!
Now when I wake, it’s all about money,
when I sleep, it’s still about money.
No one has time for anyone,
life feels silent,
lost within myself.
If I cry at night,
there is no one to wipe my tears.
If I smile in the morning,
there is no one to smile with me.
No one to correct my mistakes,
no one to celebrate my victories.
In what world I was,
and in what world I have come—
what is this adulthood!
There was no greed, no selfishness,
no sense of lies or truth,
no feeling of hatred,
no burden of ego.
No worry of yesterday,
no fear of tomorrow,
only today was joyful.
They were my own,
and it was the love of my loved ones.
In what world I was,
and in what world I have come—
what was my childhood like!
Now I see eyes filled with hatred,
feel the absence of selflessness,
and sense the presence of ego.
The past cannot be brought back,
and the future is decided in advance.
Only today exists,
yet it never truly comes.
No one feels like their own,
relationships seem based on need.
In what world I was,
and in what world I have come—
what is this adulthood!
Writer kavita choudhary (india)