Then& Now Poem by Mario, Lucien, Rene Odekerken

Then,
the world was wide,
open hands and endless skies,
laughter spilling like water,
days soft as petals in the wind.

Now,
the weight of knowing settles deep,
edges sharper, nights longer,
footsteps echo in empty spaces,
memories pressed between pages I dare not turn.

Then,
we spoke in promises,
eyes bright with unshaken belief,
hearts unscarred, untouched by time.

Now,
silence stretches between us,
words lost before they are spoken,
a distance that can't be measured,
only felt.

And yet,
between then and now,
something remains-
not the innocence, not the ease,
but the quiet strength of those who
have seen both
and still choose to walk forward.