We Look Back

We look back at a rose-coloured past,

forget the daily drudgery and drink

in the sweetly happy elixir of our youth.

We look back at a slim and smiling face

before our dissolution, and say

“no regrets” to the blurred facsimile in our mirror.

We look back at a strange-routed past,

ignore the simple signs on our way

to the lambent sun-blissed exile of our now.

We look back at our rare and random choice

at every binary fork and wish

“noli me tangere” had been the watchword in our journal.

We look back at a long- admired self,

believe the written words in our hand

on the yellowed, mildewed paper in a drawer.

We look back at our sweet and sour love

for all the golden girls we kissed

“I love you” while they whispered someone's name.