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
