The Forlorn Chimes Poem by Saima Sharif

With footsteps quiet and slow
I walked along a breezy grassy way;
Silence fell upon the bushland
Except for the hustle and bustle of the leaves.

I could hear a mild chime
Approaching from far, far away;
I paused and looked around,
That seemed to be just a stray.

I continued my pace.
The more I stepped forward,
The more it pierced into my ears.
I followed the chimes
Trampling on the wild flowers
With a heart filled in wonder and fear.

My busy feet stopped dead
Just in front of a giant oak tree
With branches widening over a dark creek
And I could feel the chimes above my head.

A sudden gusty wind blew over
Maddening the chimes,
I hurriedly covered my ears,
And my eyes hooded beneath the lids,
And I kneeled down on the swampy ground.

After a while a grave-like silence fell upon
Uncovering my ears,
I lid up my wet eyes- -
Down the bottom of the dark trunk
A child staring at me just with a smile
And several toys and chimes were all hanging from the twine
All my eyes could read on the photo '2003 and 2009'.

My busy eyes moved here and there
For what I did not know,
And tiredly paused on the dark sleepy creek
On which I could see the reflections
Of many decades back...
The floating of the paper boats,
Building doll houses,
Making necklaces with broken glass bangles,
The burial of the sparrows under the rose bed....

I was awaken by a soft touch on my shoulder
I turned back from my journey to golden days,
The tiny fingers wiped up my tears.
I stood up and held the little hands tightly,
And I trod towards the gravel pathway.

A mild breeze rang the bells again,
I halted, turned back and smiled in blue;
Again I began to stride
Burying my childhood days
With the lonely child with the forlorn chimes.