This poem looks at the change from a carefree, instinctive life to one that is more careful and reserved. It shows how we often give up spontaneity for caution and lightness for responsibility over time.

However, beneath all the learning and restraint, a softer, freer part of ourselves remains, waiting to be found again.

# A Light Kind of Life #

There was a time
when life did not sit heavy on the chest,
when laughter came unannounced
and stayed as long as it pleased.

We ran through days like open fields,
feet unafraid of mud,
hands unafraid of falling—
because falling was never the end,
just a softer way of learning to rise.

The sky felt closer then,
as if we could reach it
without stretching too far,
as if dreams had wings.

Somewhere along the way,
we gathered weight—
in the form of words
like should and must,
in the quiet pressure of becoming
someone the world would understand.

Now everything is in place—
faces composed,
voices measured,
hearts carefully hidden—
yet something inside feels
unfamiliar.

I look at old photographs sometimes,
and there you are—
untouched by hesitation,
holding a smile
that knew nothing of tomorrow.

And I wonder…
when did we learn
to carry life
instead of letting it carry us?

Because once—
not too long ago—
we lived a life so light,
even the wind
could have been our home.

(Vijay Verma)
www.retiredkalam.com

Categories: kavita

Tags: #Childhood, #creativity, #emotion, #happiness, #Life, #Love, #mental health, #poem, featured, fiction, writing