THE PAST

The past      etched in time's memory
engraved in my mind-scape  
          faces    places
colours    sounds     smells   moments

undercurrents of emotions   of feelings   of images
glimpses of joy   of sorrow  
of laughter    of  tears   of love   of tenderness
of   resolutions    of doubts   of regrets   of remorse  of loneliness
of what had been    or could have been
everything had evaporated like dreams

but all seems so dim  now    neural debris    
weakening dendrites  
the past is but shadows     an illusion  
  a shadow-play    

the essence was then --  
most memories have vanished or  faded at the present hour
the past   what are its uses    
what are its abuses

time measures all    swallows   all  

it takes no sides    neither a friend or foe

the past     I was    
the present   I am  
the future   I don't know