Slipping

i dig deeper

pictures of you
archived in my mind
blur on recall

i find twenty eight years
have taken a toll
your image not as defined
nor clear as it once was

colours fade into greys
i long for the return of minutia
to turn back the clock
i want to take the lid off
death's parting shot

i want to see breath in you
the rise and fall of your chest
see those microscopic beads
of perspiration clinging
to your forehead's flesh

blue laughter in your eyes
that wide streak of silver white
that complements
your short back and sides

this early morning
I will tarry for a while
I will wade through the mists
to recapture the you I knew
in high definition

Reviews

[Beccy]

It only slips; never disappears completely; if it did, we would become a different species entirely.
'
I want to see breath in you
the rise and fall of your chest
see those microscopic beads
of perspiration clinging
to your forehead's flesh.'

A transfixing verse in a truly moving poem.

Beccy.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thank yous Beccy for your thoughtful review. So appreciate your calling in.

Chris

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

This is a wonderful moving tribute to your dear father we never forget though time can fade the vivid memories of them ever so slowly ThAnkyou Chris for this personal share x

[Chris Shaw]

Yes Julie, the feelings remain but their features start to fade. The sharpness of them goes. They appear like an impressionist painting, when I want the detail of a Rembrandt. Thank you so much for your visit.

Chris

[LazerRays]

Sigh.... Life is a fragile thing... It's such a heartbreak when all you hope and pray cannot even dent time. The blow would strike our face if we tried. This is such a somber sweet poem on remembering a loved one. It's bitter with a sad sweet tone that clings to the reader. I do hope these feeling haven't affected life for you....

[Chris Shaw]

Hello Sarah. No bitterness, just sadness and more so when anniversaries approach. Thank you for your thoughts on these lines.

Chris

[LazerRays]

Hugs, those are most difficult times of all.
-Sarah

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you :)

[Coyote Poetry]

Honest words shared dear Chris.
"this early morning
I will tarry for a while
I will wade through the mists
to recapture the you I knew
in high definition"
I understand the above lines. Hard to keep the emotion of love alive. We must try to keep the emotion, alive and well. Thank you Chris for sharing the powerful and amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Coyote. The love is always there but the features are fading after such a long time.

Chris

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree dear Chris and you are welcome.

[R.L. Davenport]

Sometimes focusing on that past of ours is dangerous. We slip into old thoughts and old ways rather quickly. That's a good write.

[Chris Shaw]

Far from being dangerous, I find there is a comfort there, providing I don't stay too long. Many thanks for considering these lines. Most appreciated Robert.

Chris

[Verdant Cynic]

This sounds very sweet, but sad. The image of a loved one, someone we once loved so dear, who has been departed for many years, the only thing left to look back on his memories. The memories even fade, as it only captures a portion of the clarity of that day.

Thanks for sharing!

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you for your visit to this poem, written about my Father. Your comments are appreciated and valued.

Chris

[John the Baptist]

This poignant work shows how the passage of time affects even the deepest of human relationships. The speaker seems to be contemplating a departed spouse or loved one, and despite the depth of the relationship, the mental recall is not what it once was, so the image is not quite exact. This is not unusual; the immediate will always be clearer than the past. Still, the speaker longs for that "high definition'' picture that was once there. This may not be possible, for even photographs fail to capture the essence of the person. Still, the effort is a noble one, for through it a dear one lives on.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks John for your response to this poem I wrote about my Father. Your thoughts are valued.read moreMany thanks John for your response to this poem I wrote about my Father. Your thoughts are valued.

Chris

[Fran Marie]

for sure we cannot turn back the clock and the colors fade to grey all too soon..like the blue laughter in your eyes line..very deeply expressed piece. here..

[Chris Shaw]

Hello Fran, memories can fade but when you choose to do some deep thinking, it is possible to find some detail. Thank you my friend.

Chris

[Lyanth]

Our minds tend to remember only the most important things to us in the long-run.
So while we may forget some detail what matters may be the spirit of the individual, their affect on our lives, good moments and bad they shared with us. Our love for them.
In reality the outfit or eye color never really mattered in the moment, it was that they were there and they are still there, in our minds despite.
Deep words, flow is lovely and the theme all too relatable...Thank you for sharing.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks for this lovely review. I am shocked to find we reviewed esch other at exactly the same time. How weird is that :)

Chris

[Lyanth]

Ah, that is quite coincidental indeed. Very odd, good timing though! Have a great day.

[Chris Shaw]

And you, pleased to meet you. We must have been on the same wave length :)

[Lyanth]

Maybe. The pleasure is mine.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this is a beautiful write..."blue laughter in your eyes/ that wide streak of silver white"
there is high definition in your words...
you take the lid off of memory here...and show us what's inside.
j.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Jacob. It's still there but I have to concentrate more to find it. The love is always there.

Chris