Echoes of A Forgotten Se

By Aksa Shafi

In forgotten places, I stumble upon a face,

A reflection of a soul in a bygone time and space.

A version of myself that doesn't exist anymore,

A fleeting glimpse of what I used to be before.

Memories long buried begin to resurface slow,

Like whispers in the wind, they echo, and I know

the laughter, the tears, the dreams, the fears—

a life I left behind through all the passing years.

In old photographs, I see a stranger's eyes,

a smile that's no longer mine, a heart that's compromised.

A fragment of my past, a shard of shattered glass,

a piece of me that's lost, forever to pass.

I find myself in forgotten melodies,

a song that transports me to memories

of love, loss, joy, and pain—

a bittersweet reminder of what remains.

In silence, I hear a voice,

a whisper from the shadows, a haunting choice

to hold on to the past or let it slip away,

to cherish the memories or seize the day.

I'll hold on to the echoes of a forgotten self,

a reminder of the journey that has brought me wealth

of experience, wisdom, and scars that tell a tale,

a version of myself that doesn't exist anymore, yet still prevails.

By Aksa Shafi