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Feb 03, 2025
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The Threads of Memory
What may have arrived in a whisper,
is lost in momentary lapse.
A clock plays a song to the listener,
then fades in memory's collapse.
Out of touch the ribbons unwind,
reminders become ghostly ashes.
Hiding deep and far from the mind,
floating just below surface flashes.
Sailing as driftwood on tide,
days unravel, they’re tangled in thread.
When your thoughts melt as they slide,
to lose meaning of words once said.
And when memory’s lost forever,
you stare blank at a looking glass.
Piecing broken fragments together,
splinters pricking fingers, alas.
Take this scar and make it your own,
look upon it, a silent keepsake.
See that person, no longer alone,
we all yearn for memory’s sweet ache.
About This Poem
Last Few Words: I wrote this, thinking about all those people I knew who have been lost to dementia or Alzheimer's. It's difficult to remember them without acknowledging how those changes affected them and knowing how their condition affected me as an individual. Ruby xx
Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back
Editing Stage: Editing - rough draft
Comments
Lavender
4 months 3 weeks ago
The Threads of Memory
Hello, Ruby,
Perfect title and beautiful imagery throughout. I love the softness of the ribbons and thread, and the harshness of the mirror fragments and splinters.
Is "memories" in S1L4 possessive?
"When your thoughts melt as they slide..." This line held a lot of emotion for me, in particular.
Thank you,
L
Ruby Lord
4 months 3 weeks ago
Hi Lavender, thank you for
Hi Lavender, thank you for reading and commenting and for pointing out my mistake/confusion. I appreciate your comments, you always keep me on my toes ha ha. Ruby xx
Geezer
4 months 3 weeks ago
Ruby...
How perfectly those lines fit the actuality of the situation:
"Sailing as driftwood... to lose meaning of words once said."
I fear the onset of such to my own mind, but more than that; my loved ones.
I have witnessed it first-hand, and you are right, it sets heavy on one's heart. Thank you for sharing this, ~ Geez.
.
Ruby Lord
4 months 3 weeks ago
Hi Geezer, you are right.
Hi Geezer, you are right.
Being a witness to this difficult loss instills a numbing fear in our own minds.
I know when I have trouble finding an every day word it floors me.
So I write poetry. It helps to maintain my word learning skills and challenging myself is a good form of self maintenance.
Ruby xx
Ray Miller
4 months 3 weeks ago
The Threads of Memory
Enjoyed the read, especially the first 2 stanzas. I have trouble understanding the last stanza, well, specifically, keeping the scar as your own.
Ruby Lord
4 months 3 weeks ago
Hi Ray, thank you for reading
Hi Ray, thank you for reading and commenting. The scar as I see it is the damage done to the brain by dementia. In the previous verse I used "splinters pricking fingers, alas." I wanted to show how the disease damages the white matter in the brain. Ruby xx
Ray Miller
4 months 3 weeks ago
Scar
Hello Ruby. That's pretty much what I guessed you meant, but I wonder why we should treasure the scar of dementia, which is what you seem to be implying.
Ruby Lord
4 months 3 weeks ago
Hi Ray, I guess that's the
Hi Ray, I guess that's the thing about poetry, we each bring our own interpretation to the piece. Ruby xx
Candlewitch
4 months 3 weeks ago
Dearest Ruby,
My maternal grandmother slid into early dementia in her fifties. On the surface, she was a church-going woman. Underneath it she was an ignorant, bitter abuser of children. I did not understand, at the time, how she became sweet and loving (and kind to children) I just know I liked her better! I hope she found her way to her heaven. I, too, fear Alzheimer's as I read that it skips a generation. my favorite lines are:
Sailing as driftwood on tide,
days unravel, they’re tangled in thread.
When your thoughts melt as they slide,
to lose meaning of words once said.
this encapsulate the sad truth.
a wonderfully informative poem while remaining artful, soulful.
much love, Cat
Ruby Lord
4 months 3 weeks ago
Hi Cat, my husbands
Hi Cat, my husbands grandmother and mother also had dementia. I like to remember them before the condition began to adversely affect them but I know this is difficult at times. Thank you for choosing your favourite lines, you have a way of making me feel as if I've done a good job. I appreciate your read and comment, lots of love, Ruby xx
Candlewitch
4 months 3 weeks ago
Huge Smiles To You!
:) :) :)
xxx, Cat