Poem: Anniversary Date

Tears of joy,
Tears of sorrow,
Memories of events passed,
Thoughts of those to follow.

Time may distance
Us from sadness and cheer,
Though faded in recall,
So easily sparked is fear.

Whether one or three decades
Have yellowed the page,
We turn to the next,
And are back at that age.

The photos have lost
Their reds, blues, and greens,
Yet, still in still moments,
We dream vivid scenes.

Others now populate
Our lives, the present;
But, past images and emotions
Appear without consent.

In those moments,
I may stop to reflect,
Lest tears of sorrow and joy,
I risk to neglect.