Newfound Memories.

By Tulsi Pillai

The familiar scents seem to have followed my traces here,

But something about them has changed.

The spices in the air each tell you the story of a different house.

The sweet smell of the mud after those light raindrops makes you realize how much you wanted to be here.

The "cham cham" of the payals echoing off the walls of each house awakens your tired soul,

While the chirping of the crickets makes you look outside at those dreamy nights.

There are familiar scenes around me,

But something about them is different.

The trees stand tall, proudly in the sky.

Seeing it from the ground, it seems to merge with the clouds, bearing the weight of those heavy storms of air.

The waves of the ocean are rushing towards me,

Eager to take me to the land of the forgotten,

Where you'll forget everything and fall in love with the mother of all (nature).

But something was missing.

There still remained a place in my heart yet to be filled.

Fulfilled the things on my bucket list,

Gratified myself with a variety of exquisite meals,

Lived through the scenic beauty of those marvelous places.

But something was amiss.

My clothes still reminded me of my mother's sweet odor,

While having those meals , I was still reminded of my grandma working in the kitchen wearing her favorite ombre-tinged sari,

While leaving, I was still reminded of my grandpa's way of making sure that I packed everything.

Those little things that made my day were nowhere to be found in my new-found memories.

By Tulsi Pillai