Today

Today I put an old piece of my childhood on a high shelf.
A box whose contents have been the features of so many photographs and so many long afternoons
As we marveled at the similarities between the elderly and child-like.
Today I saw forgotten possessions,
Suitcases full of flowered sheets and firm pillows
A cluttered life spread out in a drafty attic room with foggy windows.
Today I heard stories about young love,
the woes of aging,
And "before I die" dreams that will never come true.
Today I saw the person that I never want to become.
Today I realized how I want to live.
And now I must do it.