Back Then Poem by Loyd C Taylor Sr

Back then, you would have seen me in a completely different light.
I was reliable and strong. I gave protection to all who trusted in me.
My appearance was delightful to the eyes back then.

Today it is different. So much of what we knew then is no more.
Not only is that true, but in many respects, I have also changed.
I'm not the same as I was back then.

For now, you may shrink away, afraid to get too close to me.
You wonder how I am still here, still standing in the land of the living.
It's true. I'm merely a shell of what I was back then.

Yes, I have gone through a lot, but I'm still standing, although barely.
The winds of time have changed my warm color to a drab grey.
I get stares now, not admiration like back then.

Worries and frustrations have each chipped away at what I used to be.
Pieces of me lay scattered like fallen leaves that blanket the ground.
Sometimes I wish it could be as it was back then.

Listen! Life happens and leaves its mark on all of us.
We show signs of storms encountered, and trials faced along the way.
You see, no one is like they were back then.

So, while you may now glare at me, take a moment and look at yourself.
You will realize that life and time have also happened to you as well.
Then you will find that you are not what you were back then.