Nostalgia

Dark,
Light,
Dark,
Light—
The clouds float across the sky, sometimes covering up the sun as they go.
Dark,
Light,
Dark—
Illuminating the room, then bringing it to a gentle shade,
Making shadows dance on the paper drawings tacked to the walls, in a room with
an unused bed.

Flash—
Light—
Dark—
Flash—
The light from the cars’ headlights filters through the blinds,
One car’s lights chase another’s across the wall as they rush by in the night,
Going to places nobody knows,
As the clock ticks towards twelve,

On,
Off,
On,
Off,
Red,
Green,
Blue,
Christmas lights twinkle in the chilly air,
Outside of houses with fantastical displays,
Or on the stair railing of a house in the dark,
Blue snowflakes hung in the window illuminate a face of joy in the winter,

A winter that means a Christmas tree and hot cocoa,
And a fire,
A gas fire,
And later on a wood fire to sit next to,

Even though it belongs to someone else now,
Fire does not forget,

The shingle on a rooftop looks like the pavement near the beach
That lies beneath a baking sun,
Next to crashing waves that once played tag with someone, and other childish games,

Even though the games are gone now,
Water does not forget,

Swaying the leaves of palm trees,
Near a house that lies resting,
Wind brings rain that washes away the trenches and castles made in soil,
Rain that is blown into windows,
Gently,
To rock someone to sleep,

Even though nobody lives behind those windows anymore,
Wind does not forget.

Rain washes clean a road,
Worn down by years,
A flower grows on the side,
And without being blown, sends its seeds into the wind,

Rain catches on the leaves of trees,
Catches in the grass,
Two friends lie beneath,
The air grows colder, autumn is coming,
A time when someone used to scatter nuts and seeds for the birds to eat,
And tried to spot a deer,

Even though nobody comes anymore,
The earth does not forget.

By the pond surrounded with trees glistening with rain,
A path well worn winds,
A path where someone would run and laugh and talk,

People don’t remember.