You are only young once!
something you only realize,
when you are old enough to understand,
there is no going back.
Tears mix with laughter,
as memories flood my mind,
presenting themselves like photographs,
yellow and almost falling apart.
Time has gone by so fast,
and only now, I wish, I could turn it back.
People have come and gone.
I would give the world,
to see them one more time!
On my grandfather’s knee,
or next to my dad eating nectarines,
while having a picknick on the grass.
I would give everything to see,
my mom laugh one more time!
The essence of gratitude,
is knowing that once a memory is made,
it never really comes back.

Written by: Gineke van Keulen
Written today: 20 July 2024