I lie in my chair, A breeze enters through the front door, grazing me softly, Leaving through the back, Carrying ancient floral scents and childhood echoes.
It is a familiar wind, With a familiar scent, Gently stroking every hair on my skin, Laden with the cool crispness of spring.
Where does it come from? Why so familiar— So familiar that I suddenly recall, The mottled shadows beneath the great tree of my youth, Where gusts cut the midsummer into slices of cool relief.
Where are you going? It does not answer. It only passes through me, As it once passed through that child long ago.
It heads west, Crossing the folds of heavy mountain ranges, Growing thin and cold amidst the peaks, Brushing through pine forests and snow, Echoing its own voice within the valleys.
Onward it goes, Descending into the vast plains, Stirring dust and the fragrance of grass, Meeting and parting with stranger winds, Like fleeting encounters in a crowd.
Caught in a greater current, It skims the vastness of the deep ocean, Becoming damp and tender upon the waves, Clinging to the salt and the distant mist, Learning the long, rhythmic flow between the crests.
It has been to places unseen— Through the night-clad cities, Gazing at lights and glass, Listening to sighs never whispered aloud.
It has been to times more distant— In some forgotten wilderness, Brushing past flowers that no longer exist, Carrying a hint of scent, Unaware that it belongs to what once was.
Then, on a casual afternoon, It returns. From another door, Or from a direction without a door at all.
It is still so light, So cold, Passing through with such tireless grace.
The wind is still the wind. But I— Am already steeped in twilight.
It brushes past me again, Stirring my mottled white hair, Caressing my wrinkles, With a soft sigh, It continues its journey to the west.
As if nothing ever stayed, And nothing was ever taken away.
Only I know— The wind has circled the world, While I, Have walked through the twilight of a lifetime.