•
tonight
careful hands
peel back cracked
and yellowed protectant
from dark and aging pages
soured
in long-ignored
dusty albums
my wife is liberating memories
life moments
immortalized
faces and places
call from another time
a beautiful young bride
a proud new husband
our sweet children
living
and not
family and friends
here and gone
other visuals
strangely vague
yet hauntingly familiar
draw me
spark warm recall
remembered laughter
tears gratefully less bitter
captured images
collect on our coffee table
so too
do insistent emotions
cascading one by one
and all together
time
the grand thief
who would steal
the treasures of our heart
who would hold hostage
the moments of our journey
beautifully arrested
deeply moved
tears well and glisten
stirred by heartfelt gratitude
for this proof of life
proof
of love
• • •
rob kistner © 4.16.11
I hope the world is still your wonderland.
A lovely poem that brings back to me similar memories.
It is our wonderland, but it knows how to test us…
You speak well to the importance of images in our lives, as memories documented to be relived. Lovely poem, Rob.
liberating memories, this was an awesome image in your writing. I think I shall ponder over some albums now. Lovely write.
I could feel your experience….awesome!!
This was lovely, how specific you made it about your family, and yet how it spoke to us, your readers, as we thought of our family photos.
Such images are among my most cherished possessions. You’ve written this so beautifully and so perfectly that I’m sure it has special meaning for each of your readers. I’m glad I’m one of them.
Memories and travelling down the memory chain, I think everything is recorded somewhere – time travelling at the speed of thought!
None can steal the memories and treasurers of our love.. great work….Rob..
Proof of Love, indeed.
Time is the biggest thief..looking at evidence of it passing can be sad..strange how only certain moments are captured but so much is remembered..Jae
It is indeed, amazing how time runs away from us, and with it, our youthful days, and more, until we look at captured moments, that reminds us the treasures, we hold from yesterdays laughter
Stunning, and chilling in it sheer beautiful of words Thank you.
A beautiful trip through time riding a photo album. Just wonderfully written.
Lovely prose with such an invigorating sense of release.
What a beautiful offering. I particularly like your description of emotions:
so too
do insistent emotions
cascading one by one
and all together
So very true….
A tender trip through memories, nostalgic loving times of family.
“gratitude for proof of life
proof of love”…so profound.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
So beautifully written. “Time, the grand thief”. Yes. It is bittersweet to look back at those early years, our children’s shining faces………very poignant. I love this poem!
Photo albums hold so much love within their pages. Now we are in the computer age, how many of us actually get our digital images developed and printed on paper to go into those beloved memory albums.
Photographs: A way to capture pleasurable times and arrest them so that they may be with us always. Well written.
Time…the greatest opponent. The one we all have to face. Yet there are ways around–photographs and other mementos of our times together, those special moments sometimes even thought eludes. Tender, carefully unwrapped, you bring this feeling to us in a beautiful way. Well done.
So many proofs of life and love – underlined by tears and laughter
A poem carved by life
Thanks Moonie
Gorgeous, Rob. Am working on collecting these proofs of love as we speak.
Sorry about your children no longer living. I lost a brother and sister when they were 6 and 16 respectively. Sucks.
Old photos do live on strongly.
A beautiful journey you and your lovely wife have traveled together. Sad about your son – they may be gone but never forgotten, and still counted among the ones we love.
beautiful write.
joanny
I loved your post very much. What a touching piece.
Lisa
InspiredbyLisa
Rob I have been thinking of long ago all day. Your poem brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful.
Melanie
Stunning lines !!
love the feelings trapped here !