River of Time with Refrain

Time is a river, flowing through years,
Carrying waters beyond our shore.
It rises in silence, fades into tears,
While memory settles in stones on the floor.

The river remembers.

I drift with the current, a boat of desire,
Shadows of moments slipping me by.
Granite is history, opal is fire,
And memory’s river runs restless and wide.

The river remembers.

The stone of nostalgia — smooth and gray —
Whispers of childhood, faith, and before.
Pictures awaken as if yesterday
Mother and home warmed the dusk at the door.

The river remembers what we were.

The stone of forgiveness — heavy and cold,
Holding the wounds we struggle to bear.
Yet rivers are patient — they soften the old,
And slowly the stone grows lighter there.

The river remembers — and lets it go.

And hope — a bright, unwavering spark,
Shining ahead through the gathering dark.
A distant flame that steadies my soul —
The current still moves toward something whole.

The river remembers.
The river forgives.
The river keeps flowing —
And so do I.