Past Tense

A Poem by Derrick Gates

Of the years I've grown
I've watched others shrink
Loved ones
The ones I cherish
The grey in my mom's hair
My dad losing teeth
My voice getting deeper
The voice in my head fading away
I recall the simpler times in life
Crying over knee scrapes and bruises
Now it's about hearrbreaks and life's confusion
It's hard to stay happy
A happily ever after seems impossible
I smile at the days I woke up early to watch Kim possible
Rugrats was the show
The clinging of a belt buckle was terrifying
Life was better in comparison than now
High school feels like a reality show
I watched snow fall last week
I couldn't even find joy
Sometimes the past is something you shouldn't let go