Long Years Back

It happened long years back, Today, nor yesterday, When Time perhaps lost way, It happened long years back. My youth when wished to roam, When seasons smiled ahead, Once when I lost my head As I took off from home. Someone when stopping me, Helpless and pleading me, Told me: pray do return, Don’t go my love, pray turn. Persuaded to me not to go, Pray see the circumstances, Lost sense, I scarce could know, Nor did my lost senses. I took of from our home, Wanderlust just to roam, But then, sick of the place, City life’s awful pace, Thought of her far from me, Who badly needed me, And one blessed evening, I said bye to my odd inning. Seeing the same old street I felt mighty happy, Finding back my heartbeat, My steps in buoy, peppy… Someone seeing the awkward, Said: leave an alien home, Go back to your fond roam, Too late now, you’d left this poor bird. Go back to your loneness That ye chose to embrace, Leaving me all alone, Go back to where had gone. No one, no more stopped me, No one persuaded me, None told me to return, Nor pleading not to go, nor turn. It happened long, long back, Today, nor yesterday, When time perhaps lost way, For, it happened long back. ______________________________ Reminiscing |05.05.2023| Poet’s note: Based on an Urdu piece by Ahmed Faraz