Amber Memories

Per contest rules:
Include a short note within your item or in your forum post answering the following questions:

* Which particular line really resonated with you?

After reading "Mockingbirds" by Mary Oliver, I found the lines below started me thinking about my day to day activities. My poem "Memories in Amber" was penned after reading and re-reading these lines.....

"Wherever it was
I was supposed to be
this morning--
whatever it was I said

I would be doing--
I was standing
at the edge of the field--
I was hurrying

through my own soul,
opening its dark doors--
I was leaning out;
I was listening."
* How did the poet's style influence your own?
Oliver's candor and frankness inspired me to attempt her style.

* What is the connection between the poet's poem and your own?
Connection? I am not sure there is one. However, I think we would all like to be remembered, and this is the underlying tone of my piece.

In the solitude
of early morning
before the sun
gently dries away
dew tears
from the grass,
I often slip
deep into
reflection,

that carries me
for visits
to events
long passed
or only moments old.

Nonetheless,
memories
are just that…
things remembered.
Moments in time
now sealed
in another dimension.
Like a mosquito in amber,
unchangeable.

Fleeting, these memories;
mere wisps of cobwebs;
some clear as crystal
chandeliers;
others vague like mist
hovering above a lake
before dawn.

Did I cause
anger or pain?
Was I a source
of displeasure?
Did I give of myself
to others?
Would some
say that I was
a blessing or a curse?

I pray that
I will be the subject
of someone’s early morning
reflections one day
in the future
when I have become
a sepia-toned photograph
that sits atop a shelf;
a memory that
will bring a
smile.