Memories

Faded days of youth flicker like a silent movie

Memories weakened from replays, over and over

Sanguine, happy times — wild swimming

Horse riding, building camps, climbing trees

Grazed knees dismissed as hunger beckoned

Re-capturing magnificent glory days of warmth

Love discovered for the first time, sweet

Star-bursts of excitement; the scent of cornfields

Hay barns mystical and stirring in their daring

Innocent, happy times — haymaking on the farm

Red hot poker pain as horseplay ends badly

Riding days over briefly, adolescence beckons

Time to knuckle down, get serious, study hard

The pulley-rope of life hauls me up and over

Into adulthood, jolting me into responsibility

A life that follows me into the horizon

Of my dreams hankering after…after what?

Sodden tears of insipidness threaten to engulf me

With a lack-lustre future devoid of excitement

Mundane responsibility falls heavy upon me

Parenthood enriches acres of dreams and beyond

Outstretched and seemingly endless days of love

Beckon on dark days of meagre earnings, the

Dust mites of dreams broken edge closer as

Life hurtles along at break-neck speed. Stop!

Wait for the passenger to alight the

Speeding wagon of sherbet-dab fun-fair candy floss

Spinning into the vortex of life, haphazard

Lucky dip assortment brought my way

Memories, happy times — keep them safe.

This poem was first published on Medium, where you can find more of my work. You can also follow me on Twitter and I post a weekly newsletter on Substack, called Rosy's Ramblings. Check it out!