Lazy Saturday Afternoons.

Broken nutshells

Sparrows swooping from the heavens 

Unfulfilled dreams

                                         - M.Monk

My visits to the park have always managed to lift my spirits and kindle my dormant creativity. Lately my thoughts  have been meandering around time, the seasons, growth and change. As I stare emptily into the azure sky soothed by the incessant chirping of a dozen little sparrows, I am overcome by nostalgia and a deep yearning to return to the past. A past so seemingly devoid of turmoil and one that feels so incorruptibly innocent. How I wish I could relive a Saturday afternoon from my first home. 

I enjoyed playing alone on the weekends. They were two days away from the cacophony of school. I spent most my time playing around in the garden, one that was filled with exotic plants and ageing fruit trees. I constantly wrestled with their branches and swung fearlessly from mango to custard apple, crafted their limbs into bows and made many a crude slingshots. After this frenzy of activity I usually settled down under our old orange tree to proudly admire my little creations and to get lost in my imagination.  

Even as a child I was drawn by the allure of a lazy Saturday afternoon. I fondly remember sitting back and "hearing the heat" around me - the crackling seed pods in the midday sun and the rustling dry leaves of our mango tree. I deeply relished these moments of solitude and felt myself being slowly transported to a distant magical land just waiting to be explored. I was all alone in this strange mystical realm, blissfully isolated from the outside world. The feeling of bliss enhanced by the knowledge that tomorrow was still Sunday.

Its no wonder that "Shadow of the Colossus" happens to be one of my favorite video games of all times. The game captures this feeling of solitude, bliss and adventure so beautifully, it helps me connect with my childhood flights of fancy each time I play. 

So now sitting on a park bench under an old acorn tree, admiring the delicate ripples on the lake, I am making new memories. Memories for a more turbulent time in the future, to think back and reminisce about the joy I feel today.