Degas

In the evening of these waning days,
my heart reaches out to gather
times past.
Thoughts are obsessed with memory
elixirs easing stinging
effects of this breath.
Mind not to rest in
haunting enemies of the past.
Rather, delight in love then and now.
As I hold onto the light
that has nurtured me this lifetime,
I see a family with a young child.
My tears reflect time passed
too quickly with many moments
gone in oversight.
I want time back
and I need that child
to release me into the fullness
of my adulthood.
A glance and a smile promises
hope of such escape.
Acknowledge a thought and
bid it farewell
to accept newer times
in brighter days
absorbed in green leas
in sheltering skies.
It is here that
I shall grow old.

(c) rick stassi 2017