Torn with Time

“History is a cyclic poem written by Time upon the memories of man.”

                                                                    —Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822)

 

Now with fewer bits of information

ways of the world (torn with time)

With time comes progression, with progression comes change,

with change comes growth that often stills memories

as new ways of the world emerge.

 

billboards ravaged with time

maintain their outer shapes

lingering of secrets hidden

as paper peels and drapes

 

diminishing camouflaged enigmas

lay under cover out of view

concealing mysteries beneath their skins

’til forgotten layers push through

 

rugged frames, solid foundations

endure the eroding sands of time

weathering the change in seasons

as the layers gradually unwind

 

billboards generating smiles of life

reveal captivating thought

pressing designs into memory

as images remain taut

 

bleached paper and spotted ink

subtly reflect on times past

fading into the distance

as lone ghosts of meaning last

 

onionskins exposed to the world

tear freely from the scorching surge

relinquishing sun-dried membranes

as tomorrow’s new skins emerge

 

©2012
Awakenings

As you travel along life's highway, notice the decaying billboards, those peeling or splattered with paint. Consider them more than dying words blistering from scorching heat across disparate images. They are a part of history. . .what once attracted attention now reflect aging as life itself. 

 

Become aware of your life's billboards as images inch their way forward revealing memories of events or friendships long forgotten.

 

"Without skin, we would have no wrinkles; without wrinkles, we would have no past, present, or future. Within each new wrinkle resides a memory."

—Sharla Lee Shults (1946–Present)