John-Ward Leighton

MEMORY

some things stick
while others disappear
faces places and incidents
come back coloured by the prejudices of the present
and the circumstances of the now
sometimes it seems impossible to remember joy
while depression and sadness
and the woulda, coulda, and shoulda,
loom large even though there is no way to correct it
friendship that most important gold
of relationships
fades and recedes into the past
and sometimes friends pass on
before you can reinforce your regard
with an I love you
and in this day at this age
when passing on seems to be the rage
and without appearing to be a silly old fool
stuck in the grief of being neglectful
and being too late
to recover the good feelings of respect, laughter and joy
so to all those I have not touched base with for a while
I remember you all with a laugh and a smile
and say
“I love you.”
in
memory.