The Ghost of Yesterday

In the heart of a sleepy town named Eldridge,
Where streets whispered stories beneath the fading sun,
Lived a man named Eli, a keeper of dreams,
With eyes like a storm and a heart like a song,
His hands, weathered by time, cradled the past,
And in the quiet of night, he’d chase shadows of old.

Eli was a storyteller, weaving tales of yore,
His voice a river flowing through valleys of memory,
He’d gather the children beneath the ancient oak,
Where roots twisted deep, holding secrets of time,
And he’d share stories of Clara, his first love,
A girl with laughter that sparkled like the morning sun.
Her hair a cascade of golden rays,
They danced through fields where daisies would bloom,
And every moment felt like eternity wrapped in gold.

But shadows lingered in the corners of his heart,
For Clara had left like a whisper in the wind,
Her family disapproved, a chasm too wide,
And on the eve of their dreams, she said her goodbyes,
With tear-streaked cheeks and a heart full of sorrow,
Eli stood in the doorway, a ghost of yesterday.

Time marched on, the seasons ebbed and flowed,
Yet Eli’s heart remained tethered to the past,
He walked the cobblestone streets, memories thick,
Each corner a chapter, each shadow a sigh,
He encountered a girl named Lila, bright as a star,
Her eyes held warmth, like a hearth in winter,
With dreams like butterflies fluttering free,
They found solace in laughter, a balm for their wounds.

Under the soft glow of streetlamps, they spoke,
Of hopes, of fears, of dreams they had spun,
Yet Clara’s ghost, with her bittersweet smile,
Haunted Eli’s thoughts like a haunting refrain,
He felt guilty for the joy Lila brought him,
As if loving again would diminish Clara’s light.

One evening, beneath a sky strewn with stars,
Eli led Lila to the hill where the old church stood,
Its bell tower chimed, echoing through the night,
He laid flowers at Clara’s grave, whispers of love,
The wind carried his words, a prayer to the sky,
“Clara, you are my past, my bittersweet muse,
But Lila offers a new melody, a chance to begin.”

Lila watched with understanding in her gaze,
A firefly flitted...