that overgrown suitcase of memories

30Jun/088

that overgrown suitcase of memories

This poem (or an excuse of a poem) was written in a flash for a friend who asked for advice whether to meet an old flame or not.

If you have to go to the North, my love
Why not take the first train
To gaze at the autumn sky

Feel the chilly air in your bones
Clear all the dust
A painting has gathered in years.

Stroke the love that is not lost
Even if for the few moments
when you look at the sky

When all the dust has been cleared
Alas, that will be the time to come back
It will be sad, as it was before

But the quivering moments stolen from life
will come back with thee
And, life shall not be all that empty

you will smile at the little treasure in
that wobbling and quavering,
overgrown suitcase of memories

Tagged as: memories, poem, Poetry, suitcase Leave a comment

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Sidhusaaheb
June 30th, 2008 - 19:38

A poet’s way of looking at things can be so much different from a lay man’s.
cubano
July 1st, 2008 - 10:14

But the quivering moments stolen from life
will come back with thee
And, life shall not be all that empty

you will smile at the little treasure in
that wobbling and quavering,
overgrown suitcase of memories

- This is great
Manpreet
July 1st, 2008 - 17:53

Beautiful, The image of suitcase overgrown…
IMeMy
July 2nd, 2008 - 14:40

The image of memories burgeoning in a suitcase is really potent, and unlike the casual and easy going image of memories strewn along a path or the cliched memories strung on heart beats.

…so what advice did you give this friend? If I were to go by the poem I’d say it was a go-ahead signal; add some more to the suitcase even if it is already overgrown; quite in keeping with what Tennyson once said, “tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
RR
July 2nd, 2008 - 16:39

Id – that was a clever interpretation – yes indeed I gave the go-ahead and encouraged it to clear the dust, sharpen the inner images and contours..
Of course let the suitcase grow more –

Cubano and Manpreet – many thanks for the kind words
Shueyb Gandapur
July 2nd, 2008 - 16:55

In fact the very question of whether or not to meet an old flame is so emotionally loaded. Whether or not to rekindle the remnants of feelings that have survived in one’s heart. And the possiblity of going through all that pain of separation again only for a few moments of reunion. Loved these lines:

When all the dust has been cleared
Alas, that will be the time to come back
It will be sad, as it was before

Also reminds me of Parveen Shakir’s ‘Yeh haseen sham apni’: Hamein chahiye tha milna kisi ehd-e-mehrbaan mein…

and…
Youn to muddat tak nahin aaya kabhi un ka khayal
Aur jab aayee to un ki aisi yaad aayee ke… bas!
Elsa
October 2nd, 2008 - 15:09

I was directed to this poem by Id it is. Lovely… reminds me of so much. I guess everybody has this overgrown suitcase of memories somewhere in their closet.
Anyway….I have chosen this poem as this month’s choice on Espace Poetique, a corner dedicated to blog poetry on my blog.
Do visit.
Vandana
October 3rd, 2008 - 09:44

“you will smile at the little treasure in
that wobbling and quavering,
overgrown suitcase of memories ”

Mostly in life we groan under the burdens of what we carry in these ‘overgrown suitcases of memories’ but this is a refreshing perspective of adding more to the suitcase and wresting from it some secret smiles,some joys and a lightness of spirit.Wonderful expression.