Always a Price to Pay

we stumbled upon it as innocents,

our feet finding the way to go

and soon we emerged into

a small little grove

and found with our hearts

the fountain of youth.

fingers twined, we stepped in the water

and doused ourselves with life.

at sixteen and in love we stayed

and went about our years by days.

every so often, we would return

to wash forth new lives,

but one day we sought a memory-

the first kiss that we shared.

but we couldn’t find the place or town

or when or how

or why.

so they say everything has a price

and we found that ours had been paid

All memories of one year lost to every five

we gained.

one life for every five;

we found it just as fair

so we continued to bathe in youth,

in love with what we shared.

In love we stayed but inevitably,

the bonds began to break.

As time continued to pass

and the future took hold its claim

we found ourselves questioning.

why wasn’t it the same?

why is it our lips sought the other?

why is it our hands intertwine?

why is it my eyes so captivate him

as his so captivates mine.

Why

were we

in Love?

The memories were long since gone

now here we stand in this fountain of youth,

letting water run down our skin,

forgetting everything that made us who

and how and why we lived.