Exes and Woes (Echoes of Us)

In the quiet hush of night,  

When the world surrenders light,  

I feel it deep within my bones, 

The tug of memories as soft as stones,  

As you, in moments hushed and free,  

Recall the one I used to be.

You miss the girl you first embraced,  

Before the cracks and before the haste,  

When love was tender, pure, and kind,  

Not yet marred by a troubled mind.  

In your thoughts, I was draped in gold,  

A love untouched by growing cold.

But as your heart retraces me,  

The warmth turns sharp with clarity, 

Tenderness gives way to ire,  

A reminder of our love’s expire.  

The chaos I brought and the storms I stirred,  

All the hurt left uncovered.

Now you dwell in peaceful lands,  

A life that blooms by calmer hands.  

You’ve found love, so light and true,  

A world that I no longer knew.  

And though I feel our echoes fade,  

You’ve left me in the aching shade,  

A distant and bittersweet refrain,  

A memory bound in soft disdain.

-aubs

August 22, 2024

This poem, “Exes and Woes (Echoes of Us)”, is a reflection on the lingering memories shared with my many past exes, where I explore the realities of the tender, yet turbulent, echoes of our time together. It acknowledges the deep bond that once existed, the love that was pure and untainted, before time and trials eroded what we had. I can feel in my very bones that my exes may, at times, miss the person I used to be… the one who was kind and loving before the weight of my struggles became too much. Yet, as they reminisce, the warmth of those memories turns to clarity, reminding them of the chaos I brought into their lives. Though they've moved on to a peaceful existence, where love is light and unburdened, I remain a distant, bittersweet, chaotic memory… a reminder of a love that once was, but is gladly no more.