Trigger

The trigger is tripped instantly
without any lift of a finger
memories come flooding back,
some are fleeting...others linger.

Oft times the remembrances are mere snippets
while others are crystal clear...
every detail vivid and perfectly intact
of a cherished moment we hold dear.

Stimuli take us back in time
whether sight, song, or smell,
releasing the safety on a locked up past
causing emotions to ebb and swell.

Not every recollection is pleasant
but shaped our adulthood nonetheless, 
a cumulative impact from choices made
much like an intricate life-game of chess.

Each individual encounters darker times
not one is clear of blemish or stain;
every challenge and loss builds character
to net a cumulative gain.

Rather than squelch and suppress these times
choose to relish and embrace,
for memories can be easily engaged
regardless of life's current pace.

A person's written map in life
is compiled with each passing day,
replicated not by another soul...
each carving a unique way.

Be comfortable with biting the bullet,
recalling successes, failures, and dreams,
for time can erode the trigger away 
holding hostage all memory streams.