Remembrance

Cracked pavement tells the story that time refuses to forget. 

And while tree roots weave their way underneath the ashen pavement, 

Time is dripping away from me. 

Or perhaps I am running from it. 

With every step I take, the past whispers, fading into the cracks below. 

I lay my face down on the cold slate-

Stinging my worn face as I press my ear to the crevice. 

“I remember, I remember, I remember.” 

“I never forgot.”

The words are extracted from my lungs- 

Pulled by a vicious hand in search of the truth. My truth. 

“I chose not to remember.” 

“But why, but why?” 

“Sometimes forgetting is softer, unlike the cruel winds of remembrance.” 

A soft tear slides down my cheek- 

Onto my nose-

Into the fracture. 

Its drop is endless. 

“You must choose to remember, even when it may be easier to forget.”