THINKING
My memories lie
Folded within me
In a perfect spiral
Each whorl a sheet
Of fragile thoughts
Delicate letters on
Onionskin paper
Tucked inside
Sheer envelopes
Some memories rest warm
Worn from a loving touch
While others lie cold
Keen along their folds
Glued tightly shut by
My dry tongue
Their sharp edges
Having left a
Bead of blood
Memory coils
In flawless symmetry
Unfolding their contents
Like a deck of cards
Dealing my soul a
Soothing sip of comfort
From a sun’s teacup
All sweetness and honey
Or, with an unlucky draw,
A swift unrolling of
Shadows across my heart
A callous tickle from
The oily wing of gloom
Its feathers fanned grandly
Across my spiraled
memories with aplomb.
© Sherri Brannon
I wrote this poem awhile back, but have never shared it on this blog...I have another poem in the works, but it's coming along slowly.
My girl is the result of more fun with Procreate and other apps - I drew her in Procreate and added one of my painted backgrounds. I then moved her into iColorama and used Distort and Effects to create the patterns and double exposure effect. I thought the pattern might give the effect of "whorls" and memories. That's the wonderful thing about apps - you can take a drawing that's not very good and make it look much more artistic!
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Memory only slumbers—never dies. ~Thomas Paine
fabulous...great use of procreate and iColorama with your background
ReplyDeleteLove the way you have peeled the layers of memory.. The image of paperthin layers works so well.
ReplyDeleteLove the digital image, also the verbal image of sun's teacup..
ReplyDeleteI love how you end with a quote which seems to permeate the soul of this poem - onion skin paper - a striking image...peeling back layer after layer..tough..can make you cry but maybe once done worthwhile? The image is stunning also
ReplyDeleteReally liked the way you captured the many shades of memory...delving into every corner in such a creative way! Lovely picture too -- really makes me want to look at this 'Procreate.'
ReplyDeleteMemory coils
ReplyDeleteIn flawless symmetry
Unfolding their contents
Like a deck of cards
Love how you weave images in your verse. Powerful writing :D
lovely image there !
ReplyDeletereally amazing! love the way the poem flows and how you describe the memories.. and it's so true.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous image that does evoke the thoughts of your poem....those sweet and bitter memories....
ReplyDelete'While others lie cold
Keen along their folds
Glued tightly shut by
My dry tongue'
I think we sometimes want to forget these memories, but they are too raw to forget.
This resonates with me...how some memories are like a "sip of comfort from sun's teacup", others like a keen edge which draws a bead of blood. I so know the feeling.
ReplyDeleteuniquely brilliant poem of how memories are stored 'in see through envelopes' - especially like your unusual use of verbs - "A callous tickle from
ReplyDeleteThe oily wing of gloom"
All those feelings held within us, so few are apparent but delight or grieve us alone. Beautifully done.
ReplyDeleteShe's beautiful Sherri as is your poem.
ReplyDeletethe spiral is my favorite shape - well drawn here.
ReplyDeleteSo much feeling in this one. Can't wait for the next one.
ReplyDeleteThis is some great writing with a lot of symbolism, but I felt like the poem was kind of "divided." What I mean to say is that I felt like there could have been some better transitions between one stanza to another. It felt like I was reading two poems that you merged together into one.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about memories ... well, you stated it perfectly :-)
ReplyDelete