"Shadows of the Past" (poem)

Inspired by Margo’s Tuesday Tryouts.

"Shadows of the Past"

Forgetful,

Blissfully ignorant,

We stroll through life

Shielded by a naïve conviction

That nothing came before us.

No one ever lived,

Or loved,

Or suffered,

We are the first ones

To breathe and wonder,

The chosen ones,

Who will know no death.

But then one day

We feel the rough texture

Of an old tree,

Caress the smooth coolness

Of a weathered stone,

Watch grains of sand

Escape through our fingers

And vanish.

All of a sudden

A gust of memories

Engulfs us,

A somber revelation

That there indeed were others,

Who came, and passed,

And wait somewhere ahead

To comfort us

And teach us what they know.

That death will be

And there will be no death.

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur

image credit

Poetic Perils: 'Back, When Trees Were Tall'

A photo prompt from Poetic Bloomings:

 

~Back, When Trees Were Tall~

Come, take me back

To where the time stands still,

Or stretches tall,

Like pines without end

We used to marvel at -

With heads thrown back,

Trying not to fall -

They reached the sky at will,

And sent us flying - dizzy, laughing - down,

Onto the rug of prickles golden-brown.

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur