Wrapping the bracelet again
He placed it in his pocket
Took a deep breath
And proceeded
Reading the heading
For his next visit
Back in time
He paused
The name and date
Were vaguely familiar
But he could not
No matter how he tried
Bring forth a memory
To go with it
Still for some reason
He felt an apprehension
A clutching at his heart
That would not let go
A fear of the unknown?
Or is it a fear
Of the known which was
Forgotten?
Shaking it off
He laughed at himself
Nothing had been that bad so far
This could not possibly be
Any worse, could it?
He walked into the room
And all at once
His surroundings struck
Him like a heavy blow
This was a day,
A time in his life
He had buried long ago
Long after it had occurred
Long enough for him to
Erase it from his mind
The grand oaks
Standing so majestic
In the field behind his home
Had been a haven,
A hiding place
A welcome respite
From all the troubles
Of being so young
As many others before
With his best friend
Frolicking in the tall grass
Climbing the oaks
Jumping from branch to branch
Tree to tree
Letting the limbs catch them
Keep them from falling
This had been his last day of play
Here with the oaks
There they were
Two boys of like age and mind
Sitting among the leaves
High above the ground
Sharing their secret
wishes and dreams
trading their keepsakes
becoming blood brothers
for the first time and the last
he looked down at his palm
where all those years ago
his friend had broken the skin
with that trusty pocket knife
remembered the prick
and the blood that oozed
from the wound
remembered his turn
with the blade
where he cut the other's palm
as his own.
Remembered how he felt
when they clasped hands
and swore to each other that day
that all the days next to come
they would forever be
a part of the other.
When finished they wiped their hands
on their faded denim
and continued their game
of catch with the oaks
after some successful attempts
the oaks must not have been
paying attention anymore.
Must have turned their heads
away and not noticed
they had jumped as one,
as they often did,
but the branches missed them.
They slid,
they clawed,
grabbed for the oak
But fell instead
to the ground below
They landed side by side
and after what seemed like hours
he opened his eyes
and felt pain
Calling for his friend,
he turned towards the site
of his brother by choice
laying silent
His eyes now blinded
to the light
As the child screamed and cried
And cursed the mighty oaks
The man who had fallen
to his knees sobbing
felt all of the pain,
all of the hurt
the child felt that day
the child stumbled to his feet
the man did the same
the child ran home
the man fled to the door
wanting nothing more then to escape
this scene
this memory
tripping through
closing it behind him
he sat on the floor
leaning on the door
his breath heavy,
his heart shattered glass
how could he have forgotten
a moment like this in his past