“Do you remember me?”
I whispered slowly.
My fingers brushed the wall lightly
Leaving lines in the dust covering it.

A chance visit to my hometown
After many, many years
Led me to my old ancestral house,
Now crumbling due to disrepairs.

“Do you remember me?”
I repeated the question in my mind
“I do. But do you remember me?”
A low and trembling voice replied.

“This was the room where you slept,
And I watched over you as you dreamt.
On this floor, you played with your friends
Using chairs and sheets to make tents.

Do you remember your fifth birthday?
I was decked with colorful streamers.
You were over the moon that day
To get a bicycle from a well-wisher.

I remember how your laughter
Echoed right into my beating heart.
And, my walls would never tire
Of holding memories in photographs.

Yes, I remember,” the voice said,
And, just as sudden, it became silent.
In that moment, I felt an instant regret,
As if I’d just lost a deeply beloved friend.