Sneha Prajay Panchal is an occupational therapist who moved to Sydney from India a year ago. She loves reading and has a new found love of writing poems.

GOOD OLD DAYS

I miss the good old days
when I was a child
I miss finding ways to get wet in the rain …

I miss my buddies who have parted ways
I miss my school and my teachers,
and fooling around during lectures.

I miss waiting eagerly for the candy floss man,
to relish the pink and yellow cottons filling a can.
I miss spending Sundays with my family,
playing cards and munching snacks on the balcony.

I remember being excited for a brand-new television
and watching cartoons with my friends without restriction.
All the festivals were celebrated with pomp and gaiety,
I miss gorging on delicious handmade sweets spread on trays.
Going for picnics was so much fun,
running around and basking in the sun.

I miss my wooden toys and handmade dolls,
there were no fancy electronic devices and huge malls.
We ran up and down the building stairs –
There were no tall towers with elevators.
I miss going with my father to his office on holidays
only to come home with lots of games and chocolates.

I miss arguing with my brother and sister,
to annoy and tease them and tell on them to father.
I miss fighting with my siblings for the last piece of mango,
always to win, enjoying the king of mangos – Alphonso.

I miss asking a penny from my mother for an ice candy,
difficult to choose from orange, brown and yellowy.   
I miss the days when I celebrated my birthdays, 
with snacks and freshly baked cakes served on paper plates.
I miss travelling to college by local train,
eating roasted corn on the way to the station.

I miss the days when I wrote a letter,
for there were no mobiles and no twitter.
I miss being excited to visit a movie theatre,
for it was a rare occasion.
I miss playing TV video games with my best friend,
when Mario and Contra were in trend.

I miss waving good bye to the airplanes flying,
waiting for the day when I would be travelling.
I miss watching the stars twinkling in the night sky,
always wondering if I could reach so high.
I loved watching the shape of the moon,
Imagining it to be a shiny balloon.

I miss going for a walk with my grandfather,
his memories etched in my heart forever.
I miss boating down the lake,
with my family during the school break.
I miss visiting the fish market with my father,
roaming around to choose the best lobster.

I miss being fed by my mother,
the best feeling to have experienced ever.
However, the love of a mother will never be missed,
for her unconditional love will forever persist.