Echos of Then...

Oh, to dance again in golden light, When the world was painted in hues so bright— Carefree laughter, the wind in my hair, Climbing trees without a fear, Chasing dreams on wings so light, Innocence, my heart’s first prayer. Then came the years of fire and flight, Longing to shine, to be held just right— New faces, some stayed, most slipped away, Like sand through fingers, none could stay. Dreams I wove with hands so bold, Shattered silent, left me cold. And love—oh, sweet and fleeting flame, You lit my sky, then left me maimed. I traded truth for hollow gold, Left the ones whose hands held mine, Now their echoes haunt the cold, A lesson carved in sorrow’s line. Now I walk where shadows play, Knowing dawn still turns to gray. Life moves on, a river’s flow, Some things stay, most things go. Yet in the quiet, whispers call, Memories—the sweetest thrall. If I could turn the hands of time, I’d chase the light, reclaim the rhyme— Hold the friends I failed to keep, Kiss the love I let go deep. But here I stand, a wistful smile, A sigh, a pause… then life moves awhile.