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