Ghosts

As I age, I have come to believe in ghosts:

Ghosts that remind me of who I once thought I would be,

Ghosts that take me back to my happiest and worst memories,

Ghosts that entrance me in moments that changed my life,

Ghosts that ground me in the simpler days when all felt right.

Ghosts have become my recollection of what once was

And what has– for good or bad– brought me here.

I carry these ghosts with me

Never knowing quite when they will climb out of my luggage

That is towed in step with who I am and will become.

Sometimes they fade and free me to carry a lighter load.

But so often I find them diving back in

To be stored and tugged right on along

Until another time when they resurface

Upon sensing something as simple

As a scent, touch, screech, or song.

Age has taught me to believe in ghosts:

Ghosts that I must keep with me

So they can serve as a reminder

For what I still hope to be.

—Written by Sandy Heights