Nostalgia (Long After You Are Gone)

(You’re gone…)

But I forget this through the day
When my mind is otherwise occupied
I focus on the present – no time for the past
And I forget

(You’re gone…)

But it hits me later
Harshly ringing through my mind
Like an obnoxious church bell
The intensity catching my breath

(You’re gone…)

It’s in this moment of distraction that I remember
The memories trickle back
Dancing underneath my closed eyelids
Taunting me in your absence

(You’re gone…)

But oh, how I still hear your whispering voice
Soft with kindness, yet persistently insistent
Encouraging me to be the best that I can be
Long after you are gone

And I still remember the feel of your hand in mine
Sitting side-by-side on the bus
Content in the silence
Just savouring the warmth of mutual touch

But you are long gone
And the after-images still torment me
It’s in these moments of overwhelming nostalgia
That I miss you most