Schools! We went the same, can send you only to them;
Can’t tell you if it’d give more happiness or more stress;
We tell ourselves we paid less, and we pay more for you, oops!
Bargains! We went through the same chocolates or ice-creams;
Can’t pat better way when you’ve done well or passed a grade or ran for the prizes;
We too were gifted or punished, instead we could learn to value experience.
Play! We had our memories of our gullies, fields, coaches, teams, holidays;
Can’t tell you if we were lucky or misused the freedom for better choices;
We tell ourselves “Those were the days”, forgetting you may never have them.
Villages! We were around the greenery, where every villager was like family;
Can’t tell you how wonderful to be around such rustic culture in all its simplicity;
We tell ourselves how proud we were to talk about them, alas you hardly knew.
Health! We too had our golgappas or jalebis or samosas in gatherings;
Can’t tell you the same now to have them or in hotels or based on commercials;
We had “family doctors” or “elders” directing on lifestyle, which now are browsed.
Societies! We lived in mixed cultures, couldn’t find better to reside;
Can’t tell you if we hate, fight, shout, or smile or share with each other;
We too had to face it, question them, asked they why and silently pray.
Elders! We too lived with very few, some far off or some never came;
Can’t tell you if we are to live together while some are lucky to be together;
We tell ourselves how nice it’d be to go to them, but now we hardly talk about.
Jobs! We had seen the difference of what we learned and the jobs asking from us;
Can’t tell you the confusion but carrying the learning experience to move on;
We tell ourselves all the while, that today is great and hoping tomorrow will be better.
Peace! We had seen how vulnerable we were, finding peace in every next moment;
Can’t tell you if we found yet but efforts were to be at peace with self and others;
We tell ourselves a lot how much to do or what to do for our next gen to be at peace.