The Visitation

The Visitation


Ghosts of the past still linger here
         as snow falls silently this year
and brings forth memories, once bright,
         that glimmer in the quiet night.
I thought them buried – gone – yet they remain steadfast
haunting my heart with visions of ghosts of the past.

Those carefree days when I was young
         with songs of promise, not yet sung,
were wrapped in dreams upon that bench;
         a thirst I thought I’d never quench.
With a frosty sigh, I peer through time’s opaque haze
that mutes the vibrant colors of those carefree days.

A sudden chill returns the night;
         my memories, as if in fright,
scatter, tossed by the frigid wind.
         I look around somewhat chagrined.
It’s no more than light playing on the snow at will
and yet… grasping memories cause a sudden chill.

An entry for Round 81, "Invalid Item" 
Prompt: Image (see cover art above)
Required Form: Wrapped Refrain  
Line Count: 18