a scent
a whisper
a reminder
how long have i been here?
days? months? years?
my mind insists it has only been a matter of months
this must be a falsehood
but is it really?
have i been moving forward, trudging through the river of time
or has the river been flowing around me?
i am rooted in place,
but there is only void here
how can you embrace
that which is not there?

the stars that were so numerous, so luminous, 
so close
so warm
have vanished, their light extinguished
a skyline once bulging at the seams with brilliance
now empty

but not empty
there is a dim light
it is the corona of some massive, distant body
obscuring that which once gave me sight,
strength,
life

the river ends ahead 
intersecting with it some distance away
it is a pit
the water tumbles over the precipace
it is lost
it is not lost
i hear it once again behind me
the current is stronger now
the roots release their grip
and i hear the cold, uncaring waters of time begin to speak

do i let the water take me?
can i make it across?
can i reclaim what it has taken?
hesisitation
it is too late now
just before i am cast into the depths
i catch a glimpse of the other side
i reach for it 
but it denies me entry
it widens and i descend

i feel the mud between my toes as i awaken in the river once again
the void is farther now
i wonder, how long has it been?