Second Childhood

Inspired by an episode from the BBC podcast “Lost for Words”

You felt you were reborn Given another chance to be amazed at The sound and colour of a new word Weighing the words in your hands Like a child, who experimented with The language puzzle, from large pieces To nuances, until you saw old characters fresh In a peaceful country, piling orderly in the corner Yet in your later years, a disease deprived you Gradually of the ability to wrestle with something new More often you were returning to Your mother tongue, which your family failed to understand You kept wandering to the past alone Back to the chaotic eastern village left behind in your mind Where your mother sang you the ancient lullaby That you started humming to yourself again