Bill Monday

Searching

The tears come easy now,
as laughter did so long ago.
Not all are droplets of sorrow
or self pity,
but the ones of happiness
are fewer now.

Is longevity a blessing or a curse?
The excitement of youth
has slowly eroded
into reality, faded dreams,
and confusion.

Familiar faces, places,
and loved ones hide in my mind
while questions of life
begin to appear,
replacing dreams of the past
with the certainty of the future.

Unwelcome physical pains arrive
but are small in comparison
to the mental loss.
Where do all the memories go?