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Museum of the Wound and Re-Wound

A picture frame with glass, no scene
A palette to pose, to fool, to dream.
Step back, plant history just like a pro
Paint in the things you know or don't know.
Sketch a tearful heart or heroic win
Count unfair arrows, color them in
Tease purple wishes of what was not
Till done is now the picture you got.
Think real hard, draw pines in the snow
Then dream walk among them, dream sled in tow.
Condemn at whim, it's harmless play
Those assorted souls touched and pushed away.
Strike pink that long ago dreary black night
Erase the sadness, pretend it's all light.

Or choose to face forward, disarm the past
Live now, Love now, Trust now, Laugh last.

A beautiful work of poetry, Laurie, lovely.
Georges

Laurie- I love the way that you write. The construction of this piece is wonderful. Each time that I go back over, it transforms. Beautiful.

G & ep~ Thanks for your comments. Glad you liked. L.

Dear Laurie ~

Letting go.....letting go.....letting go......what a process.

Wonderful lines, particularly the ones I've italicized:

"Sketch a tearful heart or heroic win
Count unfair arrows, color them in
Tease purple wishes of what was not
Till done is now the picture you got."

Such an intrigueing and effective way of dealing with retrospect, and regret or ~ at minimum ~ uncertainty [even as it suggests the lack of honesty with oneself, in trying to force one's memories to within acceptable parameters]:

"Think real hard, draw pines in the snow
Then dream walk among them, dream sled in tow.
Condemn at whim, it's harmless play
Those assorted souls touched and pushed away."

I love this 'appealing' [pink/erase sadness/pretend all light] denial, in reframing of the past [a kind of psyche-survival mechanism]:

"Strike pink that long ago dreary black night
Erase the sadness, pretend it's all light."

The brilliant ending, of course, holds the healthy approach [to honour the past for all it truly was, including the pain, and deny it its power over us] to keep us open, away from bitterness, and clear for our future relationships:

"Or choose to face forward, disarm the past
Live now, Love now, Trust now, Laugh last."

A poem of complexity, with lessons on how we deal with life in/on our internal landscapes; ending with the greatest lesson of all....letting go and going on.

I enjoyed your poem , Laurie, immensely .

~ Lizz

Laurie, This one is a keeper. Good imagery.


Mark