The following poem was written after I visited Pakistan after a period of eleven years. I was drawn to write about what I saw, faces I was familiar with but also those that were new and previously unrecognisable. I likewise wanted to express my feelings in writing and cover the subject of time and its progression in life but also allow it to not entirely be specific to one given location, so it could perhaps relate to many different people.

Let me go back,

And see everyone,

Before either I,

Or they leave,

Before the faces of childhood,

Are changed into young adults,

Before the wise,

Pass before me,

And I regret not having had,

One more chance,

Before we’re too occupied,

And lost,

With our troubles,

Before I become,

Just another person,

Lost in the world,

Who can’t connect at all,

Before the children of youth,

Lose interest,

And all the memories that meant something,

Are just that.

But even if all that mattered,

Nothing could ever,

Stop what would come.

The old guard will pass,

As the new order take over,

The ones in charge,

Will see fresher faces,

The toughened men,

Will be weakened away,

In the place,

Of their predecessors,

Sitting and living,

Their lives away,

The ones we know,

And remember well,

Will be gone,

And the next generation,

May be too far away,

For them to see,

With open eyes,

It will have to be seen,

If the times of remembrance,

And memories,

Will be the same,

But it’s a cycle,

That will never end.