Gathering Memories

Gathering Memories

I gather the days I lived, holding them close,

feeling their weight, before they fade.

I gather the hours I lost, moving like ash,

quiet as rain, slipping through time.

I gather the moments that fled, the ones I loved,

the ones I feared, the ones that shaped me.

I gather the voices I miss, their laughter thin,

their warmth still here, soft in my chest.

I gather the small bright things, a look or breath,

a falling leaf, truths I didn’t want to lose.

I gather the memories that hurt, yet still call back,

their fractured light guiding me on.

I gather the years behind me, older and changed,

gentler and brave, seeded with growth.

I gather the love I carried,

faces and flames, seasons of me,

never forgotten. I gather the moments that heal,

The ones that ache, and keep them safe.

Behind my ribs. I gather the pieces of me.

All that I held, all that I kept, Now I am whole.