Given, Forgotten

We were young

You gave me your most hidden secret

It was my most prized possession

I kept it deep inside my heart

For the longest time

Never told anyone

As promised

We've grown older

Weathered and worn

We don’t move as easily

Watching sitcom reruns with laughter

Cherish our everyday prunes and nap time

Our joints get stiff

Our lips are chapped

Our skin has sunspots

Our hair turns kinky grey

Our eyes fail to see truths

Our organs don’t work properly

Our mind struggles to remember

Our diapers remind us of our younger years

Our dentures clean with effervescent tablets

Our bones twist our skin into their own unnatural forms

Lying in bed

Staring at the ceiling

In my cardigan over my flannel shirt

I’m reminded of my grandfather

Whom I look exactly like

Bundled up for a winter’s day

On this summer day

Lying in bed

I’ve now forgotten

The secret you’ve given me

All those years ago

© 2026 David Greg Harth

26.04.30.13.44.19@345NYC