Yours & Mine

written by emma l.
photos by keon o.
graphic design by sahasra g.

Childhood drags behind me like a dead body,

Weighted with memories, heavy and cold. Broken clocks tick-tock in silence's embrace,

Leaving ears ringing with innocent laughter's trace.

Oh, how cruel the ache of reminiscing,

The pit in my stomach like a summer stonefruit.

I wander through the corridors of memory,

Where shadows linger with quiet intent.

In the silence, whispers of the past

Paint a picture of days gone by.

Flashes of faded playsets and Disney Princess tents,

Stir echoes of a childhood's sky.

Incessant chimes signify a

Neverending passage of time.

Yet amidst the echoes and shadows,

A glimmer of naivety still shines.

I clench my teeth, youth in hand,

Like a loyal hound, I stand.

In the mirror maze of identity,

Reflections of who I could be

Childhood drags behind me like a shadow,

Yet within its grasp, I find solace and grace.

For even as the years march forward,

Its imprint on my soul, I'll always embrace.