More Past Than Future

Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash

Backward glances,
whispered voices,
movies in my brain at night,
scenes of how we lived our lives,
echoes of what might have been.

Plumbing the past,
scrying the future,
releasing attachment,
to outcomes,
long gone.

Like vines against a wall,
persistent tendrils,
grasping, clinging,
as eyes cloud over,
and doubts reappear.

Did I do enough?
Was it good enough?

Stop.

Breathe.
Smile a fleeting smile.

In the end,
It was enough.
It was all I could have done.

©Deborah Harmes, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Deborah Harmes is a freelance writer, editor, and photographer and may be found at http://www.deborahharmes.com — Linkedin — Twitter — Instagram — Alamy photographic portfolio.

A full list of my articles can be found on my profile page.