Yesterday,

I

knew

.

t

h

e

.

way . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Yesterday,

I

lived

.

a

t

.

such

a

pace . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

that

even

–

–

average,

–

–

ordinary

.

d

a

y

s

.

smiled,

.

a

n

d

.

gave

a

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

embrace . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ they

smiled

.

a

n

d

.

gave

a

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

embrace . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

yesterday . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Yesterday,

I

.

h

a

d

.

a

face . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Yesterday,

I

.

h

a

d

.

a

name . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Yesterday,

I

.

h

a

d

.

a

place . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

I

.

h

a

d

.

a

face . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

h

a

d

.

a

name . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

I

.

h

a

d

.

a

place

.

i

n

.

yesterday . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

I

sailed

–

–

those

raceways

.

a

n

d

.

runaways

.

i

n

t

o

.

getaway

grays

.

a

n

d

.

alleyway

shades . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

sailed

–

–

those

raceways

–

a

n

d

–

runaways

.

i

n

t

o

.

getaway

grays

.

a

n

d

.

alleyway

shades . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

way

b

a

c

k

.

when . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ when

I

thought

.

.

I

.

w

a

s

.

only

–

–

changing

lanes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

thought

–

–

I

.

w

a

s

.

only

–

–

changing

lanes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

then

–

–

everything

changed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

–

–

everything

changed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

now,

–

–

those

always

.

a

n

d

.

forever

–

–

endless,

–

–

summer

days

.

o

f

.

ravishing

rays

.

a

n

d

,

glimmering

grace

–

–

have

.

a

l

l

.

been

–

–

erased

.

a

n

d

.

replaced . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ they

have

.

a

l

l

.

been

–

–

erased

.

a

n

d

.

replaced,

.

b

y

.

pain,

.

a

n

d

.

rage,

.

a

n

d

.

blame,

.

a

n

d

.

shame . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ they

have

.

a

l

l

.

been

–

–

erased

.

a

n

d

.

replaced

.

b

y

.

pain,

.

a

n

d

.

rage,

.

a

n

d

.

blame,

.

a

n

d

.

shame . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

nothing

.

f

r

o

m

.

those

.

d

a

y

s

.

remain . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ no,

nothing

–

–

still

remains

.

f

r

o

m

.

those

days

.

o

f

.

young

.

a

n

d

.

tender

age

.

a

n

d

.

grace . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ no,

nothing

–

–

still

remains . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ no,

nothing

–

–

still

remains . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

nothing

seems

.

t

h

e

.

same . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

today.

Reflection: This was a popular personal struggle-themed poem that I wrote back in March of 2021 where the affected party looks back on a simple, wonderful life he or she might have had in the past but strayed far away from that by going down the wrong path for many, many years to the point there was no way to get to get back to that. So, it only lives in taunting, haunting memory.

I used the song “Wild Time (Rough Trade Session)” by Weyes Blood playing in the background at low volume to create the “moodset” for this poem. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.