Reminiscence

Reminiscence

I walked and walked
Until one day I found my wings
(I didn’t know I had them
And it took me by surprise).

And then I flew
On wings of love
And every night
I soared and dropped
In great crescendos,
But alone…
(I never gave much notice
To such matters).

Until, one day, I found I couldn’t fly
(I was too old I guess)
And had to walk once more.
(It took me by surprise
For I had most forgotten
What a walk could be.)

I watched the others fly in flocks
With envy from the ground
And I knew then
That something had escaped me.

To myself I thought,
“You flew
Just as high and just as far
as they.”

But then I stopped.
I saw them pass a mountain
I had never seen
While in the air.

And something told me then
“They won’t be back.”
And I was right.

(circa 1965)

Tags: poem, Poetry