Leaving Now Behind

the cold hand of time
clutches me
as I stand in the darkness.
alone and grieving
I turn my head to see
the fading image
of the past behind me.
I yearn to go back;
aching
to be there once more.
in despair I reach out
toward the shimmering fog
of yesterday.
beyond my reach
the laughing face of a man
taunts me
his laughter resounding,
like splinters in my mind.
how I long to touch that face;
to be held tightly in those arms.
in anguish I cry
as I struggle to hold on
to the remnants of my life
long past by.
time squeezes me tightly;
choking me as it pushes me
unwillingly forward.
my feet are anchored to the floor;
my body unmoving
in my endeavour to remain still
in the serenity of now.
the inertia of my body
belies the racing hands of time,
as tomorrow looms closer
and now is left behind.