Nostalgia - Vistior's Poem

by Pranitha Devi Wickins
(Pietermaritzburg; kwazulu Natal, South Africa)

'Sniff sniff' Mmmmmmmm
What is that I seem to smell
'sniff sniff' Mmmmmmmm
I think I know it very well

It seems to settle my somewhat frayed nerves
I'm suddenly taken back many, many years
My fists unclench, my jaws relax
Please don't let me hurry back!

I see a home where I grew up
A place of security and routine "hiccup"
I see mom cleaning, because it's that time
And dad question me before handing out a dime

Everything was in it's rightful place
as mom cleaned with poise and grace
there was never disappointment with the smells you got
at any specific time, mom was on the dot

From ammonia smells at eight
To a scrumptious lunch at twelve
I cannot remember her late
With our meals or polishing shelves

...Meals had routine everyday of the week
And we each had a special day as a treat
We never found it boring or ever got mad
Everyone was content including good ol Dad

The security of my mom's daily routine
Kept me trusting and calm, a relatively happy teen
while I got on with my life of childish things
mom continued to cook and clean and sing

'Sniff sniff' Mmmmmmmm

The smell is now faaading...
It's time to come back to a life that is waiting
A life so different from the one that I had
of responsibility, a career, stress, how sad

Yet I look at my boys and I watch them play
as I wrestle with decisions of which bills to pay
and I wonder what they would one day see
when something mundane reminds them of me.


Copyright © 2010 Pranitha Devi Wickins, (A.k.a Nisha Wickins). All rights reserved.