I remember when...

I remember when I used to go next door to meet with my friend
to play grand games, bring out our fantasies of being
warriors and wizards;
we would bicycle to the playground and
tumble around, somersault on sand
laugh ourselves silly

I remember when I would call my classmates
every evening, have threesome
chats with them on a landline
gossip about schoolmates
backstab our enemies
come out to one another in time
reveal this and then pray
we would still care about one another after the dialtone

I remember when I would have to
wait a day or two for him and him and him
to respond to my emails
I would excite myself with fantasy
of running away with him and him
to unknown and unknowable heights
of European, American, Canadian, Australian romance
while I sat, self-loathing in an air-conditioned Singaporean room

I remember when cellphones came out
and I would turn mine off at night before I went to sleep

I remember when a lively debate was still occurring
about the role of "poking" on facebook

I remember when celebrity was not
accessible

I remember when time once stood still
because I had to wait
before I could "know"