Once Upon a Street
/Once upon a time
I walked the same street
to and fro for many years
It ran east-west direction
Morning facing sunrise I went down the street
Evening chasing the setting sun I returned
Along the street
I could name the shops
by the scents wafting from the stores
with my eyes closed
Easily drew my attention were
aromatic delicacies in the bakery
new outfits on fashion dummies
the handsome clerk in the book store
and occasional unexpected thrills
alongside the street
Busy traffic was only a shifting blur
Sometimes I had to swerve
to avoid a wobbly drunk
a running cop in pursuit
or a dog sleeping on the walkway
Then my life moved to the next level
No more daily walking on that street
until decades later I revisited
It had turned into a strange road
The street took on a younger look
while I got older
Traditional stores disappeared
New buildings emerged
modern yet unfamiliar
The nostalgic images of the street
can only settle in the memory
of once upon my school days
By Shih-Fang Wang
From: United States