Photo Credit: Will Pennington

I shape my memories after the
fact to fit the narrative I desire
Why waste time looking back at
moments I'd rather forget when
Present wears the face of Future

I keep my Past in the dark
unsuspecting of my intent

The moment I exist is Present,
but Past is its new reality, each
moment pushing Past, which is but
a completed piece of Present
that rolls along the film of Time,
every moment its own frame

I keep Present in my hand
while I am tethered to the Past

Future hits me in the face
despite my best effort to look
ahead, but Present is here
then Past, no Time to waste,
Time is always Present while
evolving from Future into Past

I keep Future up in the air
a promise made by Time

Time did me no favor when it
told me to remember, an endless
repetition of lessons left unlearned,
Grace kicked aside for passing
pleasure, promises broken, bridges
burned

Follies forgotten return the moment
I close my eyes, shame becomes the
master of my rest, heat the burning
of recall, sweat the tears of
regret, restlessness the Hell of
remembrance…
Who needs it

Present is all that matters, Future has
no words for memory, recall, or regret,
Future always arrives though tomorrow
may never come, Past is a curse better left
to those who never lived


Past is dead
Present is prologue
Future is promise