At far I could see the red gates and green trees,
And entering it I remembered days of joy and abandon
Dusk was just setting, and light painted an orange hue
The church lay in silent testimony, to days long gone,
I shuffled and walked through the corridors,
Empty now, silent…
The quadrangle where we assembled in prayer,
The stage where we made joyous songs and plays,
The bell that rang every evening, signaling freedom,
The stairs where we used to race up and down in joy,
Empty now, silent…
And I climbed the stairs, walking past classrooms,
I remembered teachers’ voices echoing through the hall,
As they patiently and lovingly devoted their life and soul
Knowing fully well that like younglings in a nest,
We would fly away one day, and rarely look back their way
Empty now, silent…
I pushed open the door of my last classroom, hinges creaking,
Lined up against the golden light, the same row of benches,
The blackboard with a date on it that showed how time had passed,
The teacher’s table, and a chair, some chalks, a duster,
Empty now, silent…
The tree outside chirped with birds returning home,
They were not for me, for I had gone far away,
The playground spread like a green field, for it had just rained,
And I remembered the joy of sports, winning many a game,
And the audience stands that clapped for both winner and loser,
Empty now, silent…
I walked towards my bench, and sat down on it,
In the past it seated two, now I sensed I had grown,
And ran my hand over its smooth wooden top,
Memories flooded me, of books, of teachers, of my bench partner,
Of long lost friends, wonder where are they, here or gone?
Empty now, silent…
I get up and walk away from the class, back through the corridors,
Memories of glorious days collect as a lump in my throat,
And in this mad rush of life that lies across the school gates,
I wish I could stay behind, turn back time and fate,
And re-live the life I lived with joy and abandon,
O almighty, please bring my schooldays back..
