The Ones Left Behind

The Ones Left Behind

The ones left behind, to grace old photos
And be glanced at during reminisces
Of some long-gone sunny day,
Or bitter wintry morn,
Where have they faded,
Those who afforded us
A happy hour, gilded our lives
With their careless tales?
Where have they gone,
Abandoned by the road,
Where their paths and ours diverged?
Do they still talk in the old ways,
Tuck away loose strands of hair,
Smile, so sweetly, with an edge of pain?
Or have they too altered beyond recognition,
Those half-forgotten childhood friends?
And are we, perhaps, their gentle ghosts,
Peeping out old year-books,
Blessing discarded dreams?