When coming unaware

upon a name once known

we dredge and sift

the murk of memory,

seeking fossils

of relationships.

And in them find the linkages

to the laughter,

amorous intentions,

long discussions;

or

accusations,

arguments,

and the final rupturing.

Or was it all just drift,

as people simply change?

No guilt attaches -

decades pass and lives are lived

without correlation

to the face once known so well.

But a whispered ache remains,

the thought in passing,

the quiet wondering –

Are they living?

Are they happy?

Are they well?

When we are old it is called -

Nostalgia;

but really its –

regret

at having lost connection

with those who’ve made us

who we are.

And if we do regret,

then we have honoured them

in that admission,

and they are well remembered.

James Gagiikwe © 2008