Pure Bliss

Hello Universe 168

“A walk down memory lane.”

Ever since I read this sentence for the first time, I’ve always wondered - what does memory lane look like? Sure it has all the memories we have locked away - but what about the buildings (or lack thereof) surrounding it, the color of the sky, the time of day, the people who inhabit it, and the colors and textures of that place?

On thinking about this, I’ve realised that there is no single memory lane. There are lots and lots of memory lanes. There is a lane whose floor is lush green grass, where the sky is the brightest blue and the sun always shines, where all the best memories reside. There is a lane full of potholes, full of stink, full of acrimony. There is a lane full of those you love, and one full of those you can’t stand.

There are memory lanes aplenty.

Today’s poem is a walk down one such memory lane, one filled with the pure bliss of childhood. This poem was a special one to write, and I hope it fills you with warmth and joy!

Alright, poem starts in 3… 2… 1!

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I sit and think of all the ways 
that time went by in childhood days.
The world was full of pure delight
in simple acts from dawn to night.
😀

Those plastic pens with clicky tops,
I'd launch them high in daring hops.
The sidewalks were my balance beams,
I teetered on their edge with dreams.
🚶🏻‍♂️🤸🏻‍♂️

Hopping on one leg, a race,
or kicking stones at steady pace.
Reaching home, for snacks so sweet,
Mom saying, "Wash your hands and feet!"
👦🏻🚿

Then heading back outside to play,
before the night replaced the day.
Jumping down the last few stairs,
a feat that I no longer dare.
😬

Back at school, were yet more games -
Tic tac toe and movie names.
Squash against an open wall,
all we needed was a ball.
🎾

Catapults from rubber bands,
launching dreams from tiny hands.
No screens or tech, just pure delight,
in simple things, from morn to night.
🌇🌃

Those childhood days, were oh so sweet,
in my heart they've a special seat.
They taught me well to cherish this:
in simplest joys lies purest bliss.
😇😇

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That’s it! Thanks for reading edition 168 of Hello Universe.

Check out Some Fun Stuff below.

I’m curious to know - what simple act from your childhood gave you the most joy?

Share your memories with the Hello Universe community in the comments!

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Some Fun Stuff

This is where I share something cool to read, something cool to listen to, and something cool to watch! The underlined words are links that you can click to visit the recommended content.

1. Read this article about a bank that made a silly decision (Non-paywalled link here): Wells Fargo is a massive bank. Bilt is a startup that made a bit of a fool out of them. No one wants to cover the 2 to 3% charges that are incurred when tenants pay their rents via credit card, but Bilt convinced Wells Fargo that it was a good business decision and made them sign a contract to offer such credit cards till 2029. Demand for these cards has now exploded as there is no competing product in the market, and now the bank is feeling the pinch of a bad decision, with as much as $10 million lost every month!

A great lesson in corporate short-sightedness, and also a super grown-up story to follow today’s light, nostalgic poem about childhood. Haha!

2. Listen to “Old Man Yells At Clouds” by Blockhead: It’s Blockhead. Everything they make is just perfect. So is this track. Just go ahead and press play already!

3. Watch this walk on a black sand beach in Iceland: Sometimes it’s just nice to sit back, put on some nice music, and watch something breathtaking on the TV. This is one of those videos. The views in it are just surreal. Check it out!

That’s it for this week, see you next Tuesday!