Gone With The Wind

 With boundless energy,

A cocktail of childish glee and invention,

We chased butterflies that painted the place

With a cornucopia of colors

They lithely flew away, darting our tiny hands

Before we knew it, they’d be gone

Leaving us tired and wasted

But we knew seasons were about to change

Now the butterflies are gone

To a world unknown

 

Sulking and throwing useless tantrums

We’d troop to the river to fetch water

Mother’s warning ringing in our ears

‘Pay attention lest you drown’

 Now the river trickles like a child’s piss

Black rocks stare at us as if in deep shame

For having their nakedness exposed

The banks have receded tremendously

Like a bald man’s receding hair

 

Days gone, the area was blanketed by trees

And stories of ogres were way too real

The rustling leaves, dancing in the wind

Made us think of the ogres’ whispers

But not anymore. The land is barren

You can see the horizon

The land has been stripped bare

Leaving it as alluring a witch’s nakedness