Forgone

By Jeletta Jose

Years went by, and life went on.
Tried to erase the scent,
break the imprints,
from within...
That face — the one
that haunted him since
forever...
That voice,
ringing in his ears, along
with the undying noise...
That smile he died
to be the reason for,
those eyes he longed
to see himself in...
terrorizing every dream
into a nightmare scream.

First love...
died and bloomed,
again,
buried and dug deeper,
again,
forgiven, yet unforgettable —
never.

Regret, worth, self-pity,
memories worth a billion lifetimes.
Demons of his past,
scars in his life —
blessing in disguise?

Love was all he knew.
To heal or mend, left him
hurt and broke instead.

Tearing off the pieces
of his turmoil
from the pocket of his ripped jeans,
walking away from all
that could ever remind him of her.

Somewhere along the riverbed
nestled a heart-shaped amulet,
wandered dried rose petals,
unfurled torn pieces of ink-stained sheets.
New promises made to self,
old to be locked away and kept...
She watched them drift,
erasing the ache with her fingertips.