We who with songs beguile your pilgrimage / And swear that Beauty lives though lilies die, / We Poets of the proud old lineage / Who sing to find your hearts, we know not why ... (James Elroy Flecker)

17.8.22

Remembrances


The light in your greeny-blue eyes, reminder of a summer ocean.


The way one lock of your hair always used to stick up, rebellious.


Your freckles, your flushed cheeks, your whole face lighting up with sudden laughter.


How fervently you would debate a point to understand it better.


Your hands moving swiftly through books and papers, or stilled and warm in mine.


The time I leaned back against your chest, your cradling arms around my waist.


All the lines that you wrote me: letters, poems, and that book inscription.


The path we walked our last day together, sunlight warm on our faces.




Written in response to Magaly's request for a list poem, in Friday Writings #40 at Poets and Storytellers United. Each item in my list is an American Sentence, the form created by Allen Ginsberg.




32 comments:

  1. Feels like I know this poem from all that I've read. What an affectionate list, well remembered!

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    1. It's nice to remember the happy. (And nice that, in a way, from your reading, you remember it with me.)

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  2. This I liked, this I've lived.
    Only different item is the last line,
    I DON'T REMEMBER OUR LAST LINE.
    All I got was a note in the mail, she had moved out of town, had quit her job.
    She did tell me why; her former boy friend (or more) had come home from the wars.
    Mrs. Jim does the cradling bit, on the motorcycle that we used to ride,
    she'd hang on tight, to me!! Still gives me the shivers, thinking of it.
    ..

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    1. Glad to have stirred some (mostly) happy memories in you too, Jim.

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    2. I love this take on a list and the parts of the whole of it.

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    3. PS Jim, we (the we in this poem) didn't know at the time that it was the last day.

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  3. These American sentences are just wonderful....a testament to a true love....very very special ! Rall

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    1. Thank you. I've been immersed in writing prose lately, and I needed some form so my list wouldn't sound prosy too. This seemed the perfect choice; glad it worked.

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  4. This is beautiful. Love and longing dancing together in balance. I love everything about this one.

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  5. What a love.ly list

    Happy Friday Rosemary

    Muchđź’–lovr

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  6. Memories of one's beloved are indelible. These you have shared with us are simple--and precious.

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    1. You're so right; indelible indeed. And yes, simple and precious, both. Thank you.

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  7. What a lovely list of sweet and poignant memories. And in American sentences too.

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    1. I'm glad you liked it. As I explained to rall, above, after being immersed in prose writing the last little while, I needed to do something to make this poetry, and American sentences seemed to fit the bill.

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  8. Dear Rosemary, I am inspired to create a list as lovely as yours ... remembering my forever true love. Thank you.

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    1. You're very welcome! I look forward t reading yours.

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  9. Until the last few lines, this could be about my daughter. It made my eyes wet. ♡

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  10. I like, especially, the line about the hands. And I greatly admired Allen Ginsberg.

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    1. Me too. I found the recent film about him starring Daniel Radcliffe very interesting, full of stuff I hadn't known. I still treasure my old copy of Howl. But the things he did later in his life are perhaps even more deserving of admiration.

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  11. Now that is a list poem that steals my heart. The hands line and the last one are my favorite but the whole poem is wonderful.

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  12. This is such a beautiful poem, it made my heart swell. I found these lines especially moving:

    "How fervently you would debate a point to understand it better.

    Your hands moving swiftly through books and papers, or stilled and warm in mine."

    <3

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  13. The images in this beautiful poem, made me feel loved and cradled.

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