Far Into Yesterday — Verna Clay

Haunted by a Poem...

The words swirl and dance in her mind until Ella Montclair is forced to commit them to paper. The poem haunts her every night before she falls asleep, the meaning of its words elusive.

Excerpt:

It was late, very late. Ella closed her laptop and placed it on the bedside table. She sank down under the covers and hugged a pillow to her chest. The haunting words echoed; she knew the poem by heart. Every night she awoke and felt compelled by something beyond herself to flesh it out. Tonight she had finished it. She whispered the words against her pillow.

Far into yesterday,
And beyond the realm of reason,
Memories of another love,
Another time,
Imprison my mind.

Silhouettes of his face,
Beyond the milky glass,
Touch my life with softness
For this other time
Within my mind.

A whispered phrase,
Beyond all hearing,
Communicates his devotion.
It transcends time
To lay still in my mind.

A passing fragrance,
Evoking nostalgic impressions,
Causes my breath to come deep.
The scent of his time,
Makes me wish it was mine.

Exhausted, Ella slept.