The Garden Of My Youthful Days Poem by Dr John Celes

I knew a garden in my youthful days;
It had both plants and trees of many kinds;
It gave us fruits and flowers for some years;
The trees were planted by my ancestors!

We added newer trees and plants as well;
My gardening hobby was my great pastime;
The exercise had kept me healthy too;
I loved to see the buds bloom into flow’rs.

We added kitchen garden shrubs and greens;
Some climbers, creepers enlivened the show;
I tended to the garden with much pride;
I cut the dried-up branches for fire-wood.

But then some plants and trees did wither fast;
White ants played havoc with their roots and trunks;
The lack of water drove some trees to death;
Some perished aged decades with long service.

The garden lost so many plants and trees;
The soil had lost its capability;
The garden looks neglected and empty;
My heart is anguished by the plight of things.

The people whom I knew have gone likewise;
Some died when young while others reached old age;
I miss some friends and strangers whom I liked;
I pray for souls who vanished like the wind!

I’ve left the garden of my youthful days;
New friends and strangers surround me today;
My relatives are scattered and afar;
I could not block the march of time and death!

Copyright by Dr John Celes 7-08-2015