Written for Lexi's contest. Feb 2007 |
HIDDEN MEMENTOS Perfectly aligned boxes Symmetrical, coordinated, balanced The way she wanted life to be. Their contents camouflaging Hidden moments from the past Mixed-emotion memories Concealed in darkness, under lids. First a pretty pink box. She lifts its lid and smiles. Relives her childhood. Exercise books of childish fantasies Written in a neat, round hand. Gold stars, red ticks, comical flat drawings. Life before problems, hurt and pain. Next a midnight blue box. She lifts its lid and sighs. Yellowed letters tied in ribbons Words and promises from lovers. Passionate endearments, future hopes All sealed with lingering kisses. Life before heartbreak, deceit and gloom. Then an emerald green box. She lifts its lid and frowns. Greeting cards from years gone by. Birthdays, weddings, valentines Baby congratulations, Mother’s Day Celebrations long forgotten. Life before emptiness, defeat and shame. Fourth a daffodil yellow box. She lifts its lid and cries. Photographs of loved ones Familiar smiles, laughing faces Long gone but never erased Faded monochrome memories. Life before loss, loneliness and tears. Last a spotless white box. She leaves its lid untouched Recalling Pandora’s error. Empty but for hopes and dreams Mysteries from a future Tentatively waiting to unfold. Life ahead, uncertain and obscure. |