Running Distance

You can leave behind the world you know,
And travel on to nations new,
To journey where the palm trees grow,
And oceans shine a sparkling blue,
It matters not why this begun,
A journey ranging far and fast,
No matter what the distance run,
You still cannot outrun the past.
It matters not how far you roam,
Or the means by which you journey there,
Your distance from your once loved home,
Can melt in one long far-off stare,
The mem’ries cling just out of sight,
Their hold can strike your dreams aghast,
No matter what your speed of flight,
You still cannot outrun the past.
Although the past is full of pain
Its spiteful jabs can hurt you not,
The gloomy years of tearful strain,
Like any wound is sure to clot,
But the knowledge of the things you’ve seen,
The experience is sure to last,
And when your heart and mind convene,
You’ll find that you’ve embraced your past.