Gone are the days

Gone are the days
When the school reopened in June,
And we settled in our new desks and benches.

Gone are the days
When we queued up in book depot,
And got our new books and notes.

Gone are the days
When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet
Managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.

Gone are the days
We learnt writing with slates and pencils, and progressed to fountain pens
and ball pens and then micro tips.

Gone are the days
We began drawing with crayons and evolved to
Colour pencils and finally sketch pens.

Gone are the days
We started calculating first with tables and then with
Clarkes tables and advanced to calculators and computers.

Gone are the days
When we chased one another in the corridors in Intervals,
And returned to the classrooms drenched in sweat.

Gone are the days
When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,
Playgrounds, under the trees and even in cycle sheds.

Gone are the days
When all the colours in the world,
Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays.

Gone are the days
When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table,
Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons.

Gone are the days
When cricket was played with writing pads as bats,
And Neckties and socks rolled into balls.

Gone are the days
When few played "kabadi" and "Kho-Kho" in scorching sun,
While others simply played "book cricket" in the confines of classroom.

Gone are the days
Of fights but no conspiracies,
Of Competitions but seldom jealousy.

Gone are the days
When we used to watch Live Cricket telecast,
In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks.

Gone are the days
When few rushed at 3:45 to
"Conquer" window seats in our School bus.

Gone are the days
While few others had "Big Fun", "pulippu muttai",
"gulfi ice", "seeval ice !" and "pepsi !" at 4o Clock.

Gone are the days
Of Sports Day, and the annual School Day ,
And the one-month long preparations for them.

Gone are the days
Of the stressful Quarterly, Half Yearly and Annual Exams,
And the most enjoyed holidays after them.

Gone are the days
Of tenth and twelfth standards, when we
Spent almost the whole year writing revision tests.

Gone are the days
We learnt, we enjoyed, we played, we won, we lost,
We laughed, we cried, we fought, we thought.

Gone are the days
With so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more.

Gone are the days
But not the memories, which will be
Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and
Ever and ever and Ever ....