The past is always - one moment it's what happened three minutes ago, and one minute it's what happened 30 years ago. And they flow into each other in ways that we can't predict and that we keep discovering in dreams, which keep bringing up feelings and moments, some of which we never actually saw.

In this quote, W. S. Merwin explores the fluid nature of time and memory, suggesting that the past is not a fixed entity. He describes how the past can feel immediate—sometimes just a moment ago or decades earlier—and how these memories blend together in unpredictable ways. Merwin implies that our perception of the past is constantly evolving, influenced by the way we remember and experience it, rather than a simple chronology of events. This highlights the subjective nature of memory, where the past is not a static record but a dynamic part of our ongoing lives.

Merwin also ties the past to dreams, describing how they bring up feelings and moments that may not have been experienced in real life. This suggests that dreams can serve as a space where unresolved or forgotten memories resurface, allowing us to confront aspects of our past that we might not fully understand or remember. The idea that some memories in dreams are of things we "never actually saw" emphasizes how dreams often operate outside of conventional reality, pulling from deeper, more unconscious layers of the mind.

The origin of this quote is rooted in Merwin’s poetic exploration of memory, time, and the unconscious mind. As a poet, Merwin often delved into themes of memory and its relationship to personal and collective history. This quote reflects his fascination with the complexity of how we perceive our pasts and how the passage of time continually reshapes our understanding of those experiences.

Ultimately, Merwin’s statement suggests that time and memory are not linear but fluid, intertwined in ways that we cannot fully predict. Dreams play a key role in this process, offering a means of revisiting and reinterpreting the past. The quote invites reflection on how the past continuously shapes and reshapes itself in our minds, influencing how we feel and understand the world around us.