The Things we Leave Behind

The things we leave behind

Smile at our ignorance
They know they're always there
We pretend we don't know
But we do

They follow you in rare moments of silence

And call your name

There are moments when you catch a glimpse of them

Out of the corner of your eye
In the lyrics of a song
In the fog of a dream
In the eyes of a stranger
In the sound of the rain

And you can choose to look
And listen

Or avert your gaze
Or think of other things
Or turn off the volume
Or cover your ears

But the things you leave behind
Are beside you all the time
And will follow you with vigilance
Until such time
That you become
The thing that's left behind