Every line carries the fragrance of yesterday,
A soulful song from the village we once called home.
We laughed beneath the backyard sun,
Not because life was easy,
But because joy was simple,
And the scent of burning firewood filled the air.
Barefoot, we hurried down the winding slope to Mmili Idoto,
Our laughter echoing through the winding red paths of Ezi Owelle, Ezioye, and Okpoko,
Water pots balanced with youthful confidence,
While the blazing afternoon sun watched over our little adventures,
And quirky birds lent their choruses from the friendly skies.
Then to Nneghalu's backyard we marched,
Each with an axe in hand,
A basin brimming with ripe ukwa upon the head,
Gathering firewood that would become
The warmth of our family meals.
Those were the lessons that built our strength beyond burdens,
The rhythm that shaped our character,
The memories that time can never erase.
Among the girls who still remain,
Nwanyimma will surely remember.
Chinwe and Okuata were still too young
To walk those paths with us,
Except for the familiar journeys to fetch water.
Today, the years have flown,
The footsteps have faded,
The backyard is quieter,
Yet our hearts still return there.
For some places never leave us.
They become part of who we are.
And who we have become
Has helped shape the generations after us.
Not even today's selfies and twerkies
Can match the twilight of our innocence,
When life was simple,
Friendship was genuine,
And every sunset carried us home.
When memory gently calls our names,
We answer with gratitude and a nostalgic smile,
And the comforting truth that our childhood was a gift...
Indeed, we had some good times.
Composed by Iyom Helen Chidozie
With poetic touch by Ifeanyi Onwughalu