A certain perfume of sunlit clothes, a soft hand
rested against the splayed green leaves of aubergines;
deftly weighing the merits of flours and sand;
weaving through the sections of old magazines.
Take a perfect stranger’s knuckle, or garment’s fall,
a cloud shape, a landscape. And it’s instant recall.
I turn eyes off, I turn myself to face the front
and suddenly the front reels back to a time past.
Though I am strong and resolute, I do not want
to burrow back into times with her. It doesn’t last.
Even when I’m quite convinced it’s under control,
a patch of sound, a pixel, equal instant recall.
Low burning flames. And flares of nothing at all -
a swish of breeze, rainbow grease, that’s instant recall.
Oh yes.
ReplyDeleteAnd scent is so often the trigger. An immediate trigger.
The most powerful one too.
DeleteSometimes a laugh,or music that she played us to sleep with. Or the reflection of my mouth in that same disapproving line.
ReplyDeleteExactly! the same face looking back back from the mirror sometimes...
DeleteHi Nila - yes all those - the suddenness of the recall and the lingering of the scent ... and yes we know what you mean - a longing, yet a knowledge that adjustment needs to occur ... a sinking back to reflect and remember. Take care - so beautifully expressed. With thoughts - Hilary
ReplyDelete'a sinking back to reflect and remember,' how beautifully conveyed, Hilary!
DeleteBelieve me. A clothesline takes me back. Seems she was always hanging up to taking down clothes in PA. I dream of it at weird times. Lovely poem that captured it all........nope - just accept the moment and memory and smile!
ReplyDeleteWeird times - yes, me too ditto! Trying to accept and smile.
DeleteI think perfume is one of the strongest scents to take us back to a certain time/place/memory. But there are so many triggers and some difficult to take.
ReplyDeleteHow quick that taking back happens is a shock sometimes. Way too many triggers, yeah.
DeleteEven when I’m quite convinced it’s under control,
ReplyDeletea patch of sound, a pixel, equal instant recall.
So very true. Lovely lines.
Thank you.
Delete