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I stepped into the circle of dreams and knew I'd been there before,
I drew aside the curtain of years and I became young once more.
I walked into a remembered time, a place I felt I knew,
And recognized the road I was on would bring me back to you.
From atop the small hill, I saw a mill beside a house of stone,
And there you stood in your glorious youth, beckoning me back home.
Playing in the garden were the children we raised so long ago,
Once again searching for pretty stones in the sparkling stream below.
I've often dreamed I would find you here in our favorite place,
Oh, God, how I have missed you and longed to see your face.
As I walk near, I'm filled with joy, my body seems so light,
I want to stay here with you, I know now the time is right.
Mama and Papa and all the loved ones from my past
Are gathered here to welcome me for I've come home at last.

Stored within my memory box are the treasured souvenirs
That trace the story of my life from childhood through middle years,
And, like Pandora, I am compelled to see what lies inside,
Then I'm sent careening on memory's roller coaster ride.

I must resist this lure of the past, forego its siren call,
Step back from the river of time and turn my back on it all,
For I would be caught up in its whirling winds of Why and How,
And I am not yet ready to be lost to the Here and Now.

I'm saving sad sonnets and somber songs for another year,
Carefully cataloging the poignant memories I hold dear.
Entrusted with special meanings, pressed flowers are stored away,
Holding their silent secrets, mementos of a bygone day.

Buttons from a baby's dress, the collar of a cherished pet,
Photographs and letters - I cannot give in to their power yet.
A flowered parasol recalls a summer's laughter and fun,
Faded and tattered silk, veteran of seasons in the sun.

Old colored pencil pictures drawn with a scrawling childish hand,
Are too precious for the casual eye so I let them stand,
Locked away with a jeweled pin always worn on Mother's breast,
They are timeless reminders of what was good and what was best.

A day will surely come, and I will know when that time is right,
To finally take them from the shadows, move them to the light,
Where I will revel in their memories, contemplate the past,
And I will be content for I will make peace with them at last.

Night shadows dance into my room and rouse me from my rest,
For I was born a Child of Night and love the darkness best.
Night sounds softly enter my room, like old friends they call to me,
And I am carried back to wander my world that used to be.
The treasured pieces of colored glass I used in a children's game,
I hold with wonder in my hand and their sparkle is still the same.
I take my sled made from plow handles on a cold December ride,
An upturned boat leaned against the old barn becomes my special slide.
There's the old floppy hat I wore when I caught that small mouth bass,
And I know again the joy of running barefoot in the grass.

I can feel my mother's loving hand brushing my long curls,
Then sending me off to school with the neighbor's noisy girls.
I play again with childhood friends, and walk the roads of youth,
Daring to look into the past, searching to find the truth.
What if I had taken another path, gone another way,
Would I be a different person than the one I am today?
My life is far from perfect now, and it wasn't perfect then,
But here in the velvet night I imagine what might have been.
When the light melts the night, they slowly fade but I can see them yet,
Then with the dawn they are gone, like the smoke from my last cigarette.

The great love that we both thought would always last
Is now a bittersweet memory of the past.
The searing kisses that once flamed with passion
Are given now in perfunctory fashion.
The minds that met as one and merged at the start
Now prefer to travel alone and apart.
The two tender hearts that raced to beat as one
Are now grown indifferent, all ardor undone.
The hands that sought a lover's touch unbidden
Now seek no solace, their apathy hidden.
The feet that ran to meet and embrace their fate
Dawdle along now with a reluctant gait.
The eyes that once smiled with sweet invitation
Now conceal resentment and irritation.
Romance that was expected always to stay
Has left a final note saying "Gone Away".