her

I'm not crying.
I'm just remembering.
her.

fading

I look at the words I wrote
on yellowed paper now
I overlay the younger hands 

and trace lines 
that follow the context of those thoughts
memories now but not then
as I wrote these words
the wounds were fresh
the laughter was still ringing
and the hopes still rich
and dripping with time

now they fade
now the wounds have healed
and the laughter softens to a smile