Have you ever had that moment where you look in the mirror one day and realise that, somewhere along the line, time has slipped by and you barely even recognise yourself anymore?

You know it’s you because it’s your reflection, but the lines and wrinkles, when did they happen?! You realise that the last few years have been a whirlwind, and that you’ve not actually been present for them.

It’s like you’ve been awake, but your eyes haven’t been open. You’ve not been mindful of what’s been going on, and time has just slipped by. Not because they were unhappy years, but because the priorities changed, and you lost yourself along the way.

It’s in that moment you realise the things you took for granted: health, being young, having no worries about money or children—but now all that has changed. It’s not until you have that moment where you remember who you were, and who you still are, just with a different face. It’s not just yourself either; it’s your partner too.

You look at them and think, where did the time go? What happened to us, that couple, so young and in love? Obviously, you still love each other, but it’s a different kind of love; its “grown-up” love. It’s a respectful love.

This poem is where I used to be, where I am now, and where I could be heading. Being in my mid-thirties means I haven’t discovered the second half of my journey yet. The inspiration for that part of the poem stemmed from the experience a dear family member had. She is the matriarch of the family: wise, calm, beautiful.

At the end of her days, she lives with a sadness in her heart; she’s alone, eyes telling a thousand stories, silently weeping for a love she’s lost. Love is beautiful, but love can be cruel. This poem is about the stuff they don’t tell you in fairy tales. Though more importantly, it’s about remembering to live life, and to be mindful of yourself, of life, love, and especially of those around you.
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“Just lie with me”

I said in my twenties

Young love, invincible

Being free and unpredictable

Bodies intertwining with passion from the heart

This was young love, but it was just the start

“Just lie with me”

I said in my thirties

Time crept up

No feelings of youthful immortality

The children run riot

Not a moment for us

“date nights” are planned

Just to feel each other’s touch

“Just lie with me”

I said in my forties

This was not supposed to be part of the story

Our hearts are growing cold

Stress of life is taking us

The distance felt cannot be consoled

“Just lie with me”

I said in my fifties

Something has changed

Your love is not so misty

I see that spark

Deep in your eye

Children grown up

It’s our time to retry

Time is in our hands once more

Rekindling our love

The cold shall thaw

“Just lie with me”

I said in my sixties

Regret surfaces that we haven’t lived

No travel, no life, other than the kids

Retire, enjoy, our lives start once more

I can be someone you once again adore

“Just lie with me”

I said in my seventies

Fading away and my body is weak

Still passion in my heart but my health is bleak

Just hold me close in a gentle embrace

Kiss my cheek while you hold my face

“Just lie with me”

He said in his eighties

A lonely man, old and achy

A single tear fell from his eye

Staring at an empty space

Wishing I was at peace in the sky

A tender love so pure and true

He said “I never got to say goodbye to you”

“Just lie with them”

I say to you

Husband, wife, someone dear to you

The ups, the downs of a winding path

Is a journey of love that will forever last

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Author: R V Nielsen
Image: Author’s Own
Editor: Travis May