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What Obituaries Forget
What Obituaries Forget
We string memories up
To hide the cracks in the walls;
They’re paperclipped together -
As fragile as we are.
We pretend not to notice
All the faces in the photos
We no longer recognize.
Memories cannot be replicated
In the caverns of our mind;
Nothing can make them tangible again.
I’d love to describe her laugh,
But it alludes me;
To tell you all about the way
Her fingers traced the contours of my spine
Would be the greatest joy of mine,
But they are only recollections.
Our mind wears quicker than photos -
I might know that we sat
Atop a mountain of snow in ‘02,
But I could never tell you
The shape of the condensation
As it left my mouth,
Or the octave of my father’s laugh
As it reached my ears.
I can recall huddling
In the living room
When the power went out,
But could I ever explain to someone
How her laugh stopped time
And melted the room.
I’m afraid I will never
Accurately honor my mother.
