skipping ahead time

a memo to some people who i know,

know that their lives are ok,

but the life they knew before was fantastic.

Hitching rides through giggles and strangers,

a bandwagon of limitless dreams,

a handful of friends expanded their circle,

as they smoked.

Yes they smoked,

did all the stuff college life is known for.

And they enjoyed every bit of it.

Their eyes sparkled as they recounted their stories,

stories which i heard,

stories of their madness,

their gladness,

their past lives.

Now they are grownups,

as grownups normally are.

Logical and cautious,

scary and in charge.

One of them is my mother,

and she was happy.

Their carefree days have been taken over,

by their demanding families and associates.

Hitching rides taken over by watchful eyes on their counterparts.

Openly flaunting smoke taken over by bathroom sessions.

But when you look at them you see,

you see the life they had which we probably never will.

As they relive their past lives today,

they probably struggle to focus on tomorrow.

But with the grace that perfects them,

they will take control and adapt,

adapt to tomorrow and the days that follow.

But that brilliant evil smile lurks somewhere beneath,

their responsible lives.

To have known their stories inspires life.

Inspires hope.

I had a different yesterday,

and probably a more different tomorrow.

But their stories are intact in time.

Their past sealed in their aging minds,

containing a glorious,loud and beautiful yesterday.

And as they recounted their stories,

they missed them but here they are together again.

Still laughing,

still joyous,

still as beautiful.

They made me think,

over the essence of what friends are,

the importance of similar ones,

who laugh and run for cold coffee at the beginning of the month.

The bonds that link one to another.

With their crew cuts and fancy bell-bottoms,

they ruled over their lives.

Enjoyed whatever they had,

snuck away for movies,

followed by oily bread pakoras.

Were always broke.

But they enjoyed it all.

So many of us spend our todays cribbing,

over materialistic lives,

never letting ourselves go.

Let time slip through our fingers,

and never even realise what we've missed.

So,

this is for those four friends and their limitless others,

to coming back after all those years,

and reliving their yesterdays,

with such love,fervor and excitement.

Over ABBA,munni and sheela,

and shaking hips and booty movement,

alcohol doses and a thirst for life.

Heres to the seventies,

to the forever young three woman and one man.

To the beauty and misery of their lives.