Time- A Poem, By Alexia Jasmene

Time, space, experience, hardship,

Time,

A thing so finicky that no one can define.

One moment you hold space for one and time stands still,

Then the next hours seem to have converted to their smaller form.

The one thing, it seems, that affects times being,

Is connecting with others and holding space.

There are those you get groceries from,

And those that drive the bus.

Those that we spend a roaring evening with,

And those that are there to hold you when you cry.

And sometimes there are those that see you so deeply,

That time tries to give obstacles unending to temper trust and hope.

I have two such examples in my life,

For 60 years have they danced with each other in life,

Not sugar coating, not hiding, not sweeping skeletons under the rug.

In my time, I have seen them shine on the screen,

Write revelries that transport.

I’ve seen dinosaurs and Egyptian pharaohs,

Even once losing my way.

I’ve seen stories that have changed my course, 

And stories that are pure forgetfulness.

I’ve been seen with wisdom that opened my heart,

Evening talks forgot that gently helped me look at my reflection.

They’ve seen me grow, and struggle, and quietly suffer in silence on a staggering measure.

They’ve seen me when my body changed so wrong,

And again when reversed to be what should have been.

They’ve seen my ideas grow and shift from extreme to extreme,

And now begin to settle in just being me.

Because they saw me, and saw each other,

I’ve felt a home and hope for me to see another.

I now leave, to parts unknown to me,

To see the world with someone who sees me.

And time may get finicky, and ebb and flow,

But the time I’ve spent with both of you,

Has truly healed my soul.