Pet beetles, coloring books and black pine trees
Making longboats with bamboo leaves
Thinking about my childhood memories 
I’m reminded of these simple things.

Befriending stray cats and breathing the summer breeze
Chess games with neighbors and family gatherings
Those are what I remember of my pre-teens
How I cherish these simple things.

Life turned to a race when I became a teen
All about milestones and achieving big things
The stress of school and brainwashed dreams
Whatever happened to the simple things?

My twenties consumed with making money
Working long hours and saving every penny
Not sure what race I was running anymore
I lost sight of the simple things.

Now in my thirties, I’ve seen enough
I have no interest in the fast paced life
I found a rusty compass in my childhood memories
It’ll take me back to the simple things.

Mehrnaz Bassiri