In recent weeks I've spent a lot of time reliving the past. I've scoured photos albums and reread poems written long ago. Each glimpse brings a flood of memory. I remember what inspired the words and events that transpired before and after each photo. I wander a little further down the path with each turn of the page. I stare at the memories as they stare back at me, daring me to never forget.
Long-time readers of my poetry are probably aware that memory plays a big part in them, and those who know me apart from my poetry, know that I’ve had a camera ready to snap photos long before smartphones made them ubiquitous. I can’t say I fully understood why I did that when I was young, but I think there’s always been a part of me that knew how precious each moment is and wanted them all to last forever. Or maybe, I just wanted to be able to remind myself of all the wonderful moments I’ve had and the people who made them happen.
~Elise Skidmore ©2023
To revisit another of my “memory poems,” check out the video below of my reading of The Persistence of Memory, which appeared in A DANCE OF DREAMS.
