The Scent of What Once Was

I smell the scent of days gone by,

The must, the mint, the morning dew.

A breath of time I can’t deny,

That stirs the soul and pulls it through.

A day once dawned, half-century old,

When skies were wide and hope was new.

It smelled of grass, of sun, of gold,

Of all I was, and all I knew.

Perhaps the wind just passed me through

A doorway left ajar,

To let the past come drifting in

From somewhere near, or very far.

And though that day is long since past,

Its breath hangs in the air.

A quiet whisper meant to last,

To say: You were. You loved. You’re still there.