One Summer Day Poem by Ann Rou

One summer day, on a lonely hill above town,
When an old man sat drinking, at the brinks of a slight skinny tree,
Came walking a young lady, casting glances around,
And stood beside the old man, leaning on the tree.

The lady sighed, a long weighty sigh,
So the old man asked, 'why do you sigh, young woman? '
And a slow crystal tear, oozed out of the lady's eye,
Then the lady replied, 'Because Memories are returning to me, sir.'

Like clouds of mist, Memories crept and surrounded the lady,
And Memories said, 'Long time no see, little youngling,
Though the last time you were here, you were only a baby,
I see what Time has done to you; you are no longer a sapling.'

At this Time opened its mouth, and said in a voice filled with pride,
'She has healed and grown, there's none to be afraid of now,
But I can't deny, there were too many stops during the ride,
Oh well, at least she's all happy now.'

At this, the lady retorted,
Oh no, I'm not at all healed,
I have my Regrets, they still stay,
Only the pain is gone, I am only a shield.

Regrets washed over the hill, 'remember?
You stood here until the night; your tears stained this tree,
‘I should've', it was a chilled December,
You said to the stars, ‘if only''

The lady ceased her tears, and gave a small smile,
'Oh yes, to this day I still and will say ‘If only',
But I can't turn back Time now, I will have to wait awhile,
Someday I'll climb up this hill, the tears will be no more.'

Time, Memories, and Regrets; they finally backed away,
The old man glanced at the lady's tears, she reminded him of a time,
'You are still young and strong, those tears will be a laugh someday,
I shed tears here once upon a time, but they have all drained now.'

The sun had set, the town shined with lights,
The old man walked home, the lady was seas away from the hill,
Many summers had passed after the summer day, the sky was filled with kites,
When an old lady sat drinking, at the brinks of a slight skinny tree.