in shorthand

we call it soul

but what is it really

as soon as it’s spied

then drafted into definition it is gone

there is a sameness today tomorrow yesterday that follows in the wake

of change it is to this sameness

we turn as the clock speeds along its lifeline

the shades change from bold to hued essence

a reminder of a beginning reflected in words we each

try to frame on the walls

of lived experience

a hoped for

masterpiece