Things past

Things past do not vanish like clouds;
but linger, like painful, persistent shadows,
in lightness and dark,
in the creaky crevices and forgotten flagstones
of your misremembering mindspaces.

Clouds vanish into sunshine or rain,
snowflakes or sleet, warm air or humidity.
But things past
you encounter, again and again, on the borders,
in the watchtowers of your mind.