Village boy Impressions

The day was damp and raw     And I was down in the doldrums But o n the sagging powerlines  Just outside my window I found two little birds in intimate talk As they spruce their feathers away With cute little beaks that tweet! They sat right next to each other With their little feet about the copper wire Quite immune to the power coursing within Chatting forever about heaven knows what. I wished I could understand their hearty talk So simple, so intimate, so beautiful! No Facebook walls, no Messengers, No WhatsApp, no Snapchat and emojis No Instagram and finger Twitter-ring No posts, no comments, and no tagging Just good old plain talk, eyeball to eyeball With little chance of misunderstanding And no thoughtless forwarding of garbage I sighed in envy of them and smiled… Suddenly the gloomy clouds parted  And the sun shone brighter than before. So my day was saved.

Blest the bygone days of sweet remembrance, When childhood was innocence indeed. Moonlit nights were songs and dances And New Year treats were ‘alewa’. Colourful tongues told the story. Read:  Village Boy Impressions - Folktales The days when pito was the drink, And we only ate to quell hunger, A large protruding belly was our goal And the oily mouth, an envious sight. Only fun, food and friends mattered. Our teachers still taught us manners and prayers  And learning was its own reward  A holy curiosity to discover the secrets Of our environment drove us on To outshine the other in class was the prize. Read:  Village Boy Impressions - The Days of Bliss In homes were heard loud rolling laughters, Guests were welcomed with genuine smiles, In happiness, we celebrated all successes Burrying in sorrow and tears, our friends And aiding freely and willingly, those in need. But what do we have here now? An unchained ‘modernity’ of madness