Old Album

Yellowed photos, The old album's edges were worn, Searching for the lost days, the traces left behind, A pang in the heart, a longing that stings, Like the two strings of a dombra that slowly snap. The heart still warms with memories, The first school years, classrooms, The very first teacher, towering in stature, We looked on in awe, as seen in this curious photo, With trousers torn at the knees, and white boots stained with dust. With the photo, we grow, we become, Living carefree, blissful lives, You don’t even believe yourself, That once we were small, just like this yesterday. A delicate photo of a girl, She looks at me from one page, My heart skips a beat, my side tingles with emotion. Untouched by dirt, with pure feelings, the girl I loved, You stirred my heart, though now you’re just a lifeless photo! If we were alone with her, sitting close but never touching, Afraid to hold her hand, like a delicate flower, As our blood rushed with excitement, even the slightest closeness, We’d sweat and falter, unable to speak a word. The caravan of life moves on, many autumns will pass, Caught in the hustle of daily life, we’ll forget everything and leave. Though we may face different fates, Once we were all the same when we were small!