i am not what i used to be

She stood by the lake,

Toes inching into the sand,

It seemed far less inviting in the cold, rigid winter,

But she recognized it nonetheless,

The stars glared down at her,

Inquiring as to her presence,

She searched her soul but was unable answer them,

They both longed for the person who had stood in her place,

Her reflection shown in the moonlight,

But she did not recognize her own face,

How quickly youth evades us,

Time passed, time to waste,

In the lapping of the water,

Echoed sounds of lost laughter.

Where there were once footprints in the sand,

Smooth coldness met her touch.

The memories she could not escape,

How suddenly they came flooding back,

Absorbing her with the sound of the water,

But she could not relapse.

The first touch was like heaven,

Piercing cold but welcoming her home,

She inhaled deep but could not breathe,

Nom sum qualis eram.