Poetry – Long Ago

Posted on by Opher

Long Ago

Long ago my brain was sharp,

                Memories were clear,

                                Nothing was lost.

Every book, film and name,

                Every incident,

                                The facts tripped straight to the tongue;

Words appeared by magic.

                All so easy.

                                I could picture all of life

In cinematic colour.

Now,

                                Now I take photographs.

Opher – 14.1.2020

I always thought those memories would last forever. Now I know different. They fade away and leave holes in your life.

We recreate our memories.

Our memories are who we are.

Yet they are not real. We make them up as we go along.

I now wish I’d kept a journal. It would recreate the past; help bring back the lost memories.

But the person who lived back then was a different person.

Nowadays I don’t trust my memory at all. I know it is a lie. So I take photographs of where I’ve been and what I’ve done.

But I suspect that photographs change with time.

I have no way of knowing.

2 thoughts on “Poetry – Long Ago”

  1. Opher – Memories that move us, those we hold close to our heart and experience viscerally, those memories retain their deep colour. Perhaps in our recall we even embellish them: as if by default such happy memories are always seen through the lens of rose-tinted glasses. After-all, it is said the pursuit of happiness is the meaning of life, and good memories provide us with hope, strength, inspiration, and courage. They are a buffer against life’s disappointments: a defence against memories that haunt us..

    Memories define us and influence our actions. They are our individual collective experience. Without them we are little more than hollow machines.

    I’ve always had a reasonably good memory, but like you, the older i get the less clear my recall of events, situations, and experiences. There will come a time when forgetting more than i remember is either a curse or a blessing, at which point everything becomes make-believe!

    It surprises me you didn’t keep a journal Opher, but I guess some aspects of your life are referenced, even discussed in books you’ve written. There is delineation of your memories to aid and prompt recall. I imagine reading this material would stimulate recall of other things. like a memory snowball gathering mass as it rolls downhill.

    Happy snapping!

    DN

    1. Yes, you’re right, when you start writing about things it unlocks other memories. So much is still forgotten though. I so wish I had kept extensive journals!!

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