The city I was born in,
my mother's maiden name,
the street I lived on.
Questions,
answers that do not warrant
hesitation,
contemplation,
black and white,
nice and easy.
But what if I forget
one day,
my first pet's name,
my high school boyfriend,
finding the love of my life.
What if it slips away,
like an oar in the river,
like water through my fingers,
like all the yesterdays
built by moments of you and I.
Holding hands,
speaking with our loud voices
at the spark of anger,
dancing in the kitchen,
our laughter echoes in our home.
Silent,
side by side at dawn,
our feet tangled
in a mess of love,
what if I forget?
It would play havoc with accessing our various online passwords, lol. I enjoyed this wondering.......I actually remember the past much more clearly than last week. Strangely.
ReplyDelete:) I hope I always remember
DeleteYes, i'm thinking along the lines like Sherry
ReplyDeleteHave a good Sunday
much love...
Thank you!
DeleteMemory sure makes us who we are, would be awful to forget, but then we wouldn't know what we forgot.
ReplyDeleteIt would be sad....
DeleteSadly, I thought of those aging who lose their memories. Pieces of life forever gone. It makes one wonder.
ReplyDeletedevastating
DeleteI do think I lose something every day... but sadness is when there are no new memories that replace the old ones.
ReplyDeleteso true....
DeleteA fear that speaks to us all as we grow older ... but fear is disabling. We can only enjoy each day as it comes. Poignant words!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWhat ifs can drive a soul half-mad... We can only hope that if we forget one thing (or 28) that was important to us, we can find new things to remember.
ReplyDeleteYes....
DeleteBesides your dog's big puss and obviously waiting when I get here to give me a slobbering kiss; this piece was incredibly on par for excellent writing. :)
ReplyDeleteZQ
Thank you!
DeleteWonderful reflection. I'm sure this touches every heart. But let us rejoice in what is remembered and that it happened at all.
ReplyDeleteOh Ayala, this poem goes directly to fears I harbor as I get older. It really captures them and the sadness of forgetting.
ReplyDeleteIt is frightening
DeleteThank you! xo
ReplyDeleteA beautifully written piece that articulates a deep-seated fear we all grapple with as we age. For myself: I take some comfort in the lines of poetry I have committed to paper. Though, I may yet lose my way ... those lines of poetry will remain: little breadcrumbs that mark the path I was on ... for a time.
ReplyDeleteThe words will remain...and I appreciate your thoughtful comment.
DeleteNicely put...
ReplyDeleteI hope this isn't about Alzheimer's. There are cases that we forget things easily though, or we tried to forget some awful things..
ReplyDeleteThis is beautifully written, and underscores what all of us fear...
DeleteElizabeth
But it is... it frightens all of us.
DeleteThank you Elizabeth.
Deletei think we will always remember the important things in life..
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately dementia and Alzheimer's steal everything away from those....
DeleteMemories can be hard to hold onto - like passwords sometimes we need to gather them up
ReplyDeleteI feel like we remember moments at best... so much slips away.
DeleteThis reminds me of what Derek told Meredith in Grey's anatomy - If you forget , I'll remind you every single day :)
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteYes, what a lovely poem! Yes, so much is forgotten....our heads as big as they are, can't hold everything. Perhaps that is what writing is for?
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteOh this is so poignant.. I hope we never have to lose our memories..
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThis breathes like the caution in anticipation of the vagaries of dementia where many write poetry to keep the mind alert!
ReplyDeleteHank
Haunting and poignant, I understand why this fear of forgetting pushes us to remember more. In some circumstances, though, this isn't a possibility. It reminds me to focus more on the present. Thanks for these words, Ayala. xo
ReplyDelete