For Melancholy

They lived on in my head for so long
I could smell your breath
Feel your hand in mine
Your arm around my waist
Your lips pressed to my neck

You lived as a leper in my body
Pieces of you tearing me apart
Making me a broken man
As you yourself were shattered

Now there's no more physicality left
No hurt emotions, longing memories
Just these few fragmented sentences
And as each word spells out, a piece of you leaves me

You're gone from my life now
As I wish you would have been forever ago
This final regret
Spelled out in this final sentence
You're gone from my life, forever.

The man stepped out of the shower. Naked body dripping water to the white bathroom mat below. The morning concealed his red eyes and the water hid his tears. He grabbed his grey towel from the rack and dried himself off, sighing in to the towel as he whiped the water from his face. He stepped in front of the mirror. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he smirked in satisfaction at his reflection. A body perfect in its imperfections. A body he had strove so hard to create. He ran a hand over his chin, turning his head slightly. He could hear water in his ear. The man titled his head to the side and smacked his ear, jumping at the same time to shake the water out. At last it dropped out, dripping to the floor. With that drop went the pain of the man's past. All the people who wronged him, the mistakes, the agony. When he looked back in the mirror, he could see his love standing behind him. Wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her chin on his shoulder. They smiled at each other in the mirror. He was finally free.

Memories are a strange thing. We'll never rid ourselves of memories on purpose but I don't believe we ought to. There are different types of memories, namely those that are active and those that have passed. Active memories are the ones that have a regular effect, not through our personality, but still on our day to day lives. The memories that can give us our highest highs and our lowest lows. Memories of days spent walking through an autumn forest with a lover or family member; or memories of nights alone after breakups or fights. But memories needn't be active forever. They'll always be present as the things that made us who we are but we don't have to constantly be hurt by them. Memories can fade in to inactivity. We can still think back to them, know the emotions that are associated with them; however, we needn't feel the emotions anymore.

I've found my catalyst for catharsis. My eyes are wide open now. My head so much lighter. I see now that nights don't have to be a time for wallowing in melancholy. Instead, I've made them a time to enjoy my clarity of mind and newfound emotions. My life will be complete when one day, I can prove to be the cause of someone else's release. And I know someone who deserves every good thing that she receives. Melancholy.

You are more beautiful than the first snowfall of the year.
Your smile more welcome than the sun in my mornings.
And your eyes like the brightest constellations in the night sky.