Haunted Reflections

In mirrors dim and windows blurred,
They linger, spectral and unheard.
The ghosts of who we used to be,
Haunting present reality.

A child’s laugh, an echo faint,
Of innocence now touched with taint.
The dreamer’s eyes, once burning bright,
Now shadowed by life’s fading light.

In every reflective surface found,
These phantoms of the past abound.
The lover’s passion, now grown cold,
The brave facade, no longer bold.

They whisper of paths not taken,
Of promises made, then forsaken.
The athlete’s grace, the artist’s fire,
Now mere wisps of lost desire.

In puddles on a rainy day,
The ghosts of youth come out to play.
Reminding us of carefree times,
Before we knew of life’s hard climbs.

The scholar’s thirst, once unquenched,
Now in daily grind entrenched.
The rebel’s fire, once burning strong,
Reduced to whispers of old songs.

These specters dance on polished chrome,
In rearview mirrors as we roam.
Always just beyond our reach,
A lesson they attempt to teach.