Nostalgia

 


Nostalgia


Artwork and original poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025, inspired by memories of the kerosene oil lamp that always came in handy during the summer power cuts of 1960s

What is it about nostalgia that awakens your soul?
Just a slight whiff of the past sets you on a roll

Opening the floodgates of memories of a kinder, gentler age
Long-forgotten names and faces set sentiments on a rampage

An old photograph, a long-lost friend or an antique object
Is all that's needed for cherished flashbacks to resurrect

An old-fashioned oil lantern callously tossed aside as scrap 
In the 60s it was a priceless workhorse, now gets a bad wrap

Don't let the world tell you what is and isn't in style 
Today's prized possession becomes worthless in a while

Memories are yours and only yours to preserve and treasure
Reconnecting with your roots they bring immense pleasure


Comments

Anonymous said…
Brilliant!
More so in the light of catching up with the Lulu gang [in Vegas last month] (WhatsApp comment from a childhood friend referring to a very fun get together in Las Vegas after 40 years)
July 29, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Kieran said…
Yes the reunion brought back a lot of great memories - Kieran
July 29, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Anonymous said…
Hurricane lamp! (WhatsApp comment from a very dear friend)
July 29, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Kieran said…
We had one in every room of our Saligao house - often at the doorway so someone going into the house, you’d take it along - Kieran
July 29, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Anonymous said…
Wow! To be able to composé a poèm everyday…. Is incredible!!! Which comes first…. Does the art inspire the prose or vice versa? Wow!!! (WhatsApp comment from an artistic friend who shares her daily artwork with me)
July 29, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Kieran said…
It’s always the artwork that comes first - it has to move me, which often means connecting with my experiences.
While painting, I draw on my memories, which often lead to the poem
In a few cases, like the ‘Go/No fishing’ I update the artwork, but that’s only in a few cases - Kieran
July 29, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Anonymous said…
Aah memories (WhatsApp comment from a dear friend)
July 30, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Kieran said…
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cat had a beautiful song titled, ‘Memories’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v-cJX17xy4 - Kieran
July 30, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Anonymous said…
I remember that lamp too. (WhatsApp comment from a very dear friend)
July 30, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Kieran said…
In the Goan ancestral home, it was the only source of light till the mid-70s when someone started living there. Otherwise it was just a summer holiday getaway - Kieran
July 30, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Anonymous said…
Really!! I have preserved but now put a filament LED in lieu of flame! (WhatsApp comment from a classmate)
July 30, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Kieran said…
That’s very clever @⁨~Mahesh Khandke⁩ - Kieran
July 30, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Anonymous said…
Love the flow of sentiments penned here 😊, Nostalgic indeed (WhatsApp from a dear friend)
July 30, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Kieran said…
When I saw a photo of this photo it reminded me if childhood vacations in our ancestral home in Saligao where we didn’t have electricity
What great memories - Kieran
July 30, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Anonymous said…
We've been born at a time when these were priviliges that we were blessed with & extremely fortunate to experience.
Not sure if our children have had similar experiences given today's nuclear family orientation 🙏
Epic train journeys with cousins, Mega get togethers at every birthday party ,never mind how distant the relationships were, all of that we were Privileged to experience, regular picnics, outings etc etc .
Today we can afford to give our kids the best & yet we see them lonely, aloof, craving for family Companionship & what have you .
This is a Generation thats so lost & Self immersed in this rat race with immense Peer pressure.
I often feel for our kids & wonder what's gonna happen going forward 🙏 (Reply to above comment)
July 30, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Kieran said…
Very well said, Melville. 👌👏🏼👍🏼 - Kieran
July 30, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Anonymous said…
Excellento, Bravo. Just brillianto. 👏 (WhatsApp omment from a dear cousin)
July 30, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Kieran said…
Thanks Albert. This was the only way to get around the Saligao home in the mid-1970s. Made the holiday so much more fun - Kieran
July 30, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Anonymous said…
Love the details on the lamp . Very effective, Never used this lamp . Brought back memories of Goa . No electricity for ages! (WhatsApp comment from a dear cousin)
July 30, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Kieran said…
Yes, for me too, the lantern brought back memories of summer holidays in Goa in the early 70s - Kieran
July 30, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Anonymous said…
My answer to your day's painting and poem and a previous one with tango dancers...stay blessed! 🙏🏼♥️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmUR1pURL68 (WhatsApp comment from a dear relative in Bangalore)
July 30, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Kieran said…
Thank you Naomi. These kerosene lanterns were our only light source in the ancestral home in Saligao which was only inhabited during a few weeks each summer. Lots of fond memories come flooding back when I think of it - Kieran
July 30, 2025 at 5:43 PM
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