Lest We Forget

Dr. Raymond Babineau

Was it yesterday or the day before that we met?

There was so much ahead to see, no need to revisit, only new

Friendships came easily and we thought they would last forever,

Naïve or strong belief that it could be different than our parents

Days seemed endless, and nights only a fleeting moment

Each day was a vacation

“Some day” seemed so far away, like Ferlingetti footsteps in the sand,

Making a difference was the most important

Then life got in the way.

Rolling Stones’, Keith Richards said that life is what happens when you are making plans

For something else

One day speeds into the next, like running water from a faucet, continuous

Pictures remind us of our past, lost, but not forgotten

We resist even taking a picture so the reminder cannot be cast as a shadow in our way

Some are melancholy, some never think.  It’s easier that way.

That way there is the numbness that can keep us from thought.  It’s called routine.

Like doing door to door.  Bedroom to bathroom, bathroom to kitchen, kitchen to car,

Car to office, office to office, office to car, car to home, home to solace, solace to sleep,

Only to repeat like the emails that won’t go away

The reason to play is for the one shot,

Like golf, there is one that keeps us looking for the next.

Of course there are the kids.

Just the thought makes the eyes sweat because men don’t cry.

The vessel of Hope holds so much

A cornucopia and a cacophony,

Like constant alliteration that runs off the page onto the next

Then being positive, sometimes, just sucks

Wallow can feel so good, like the warm feeling of relief as a young child in the middle of the night

Fatigue makes cowards of us all

Cause without contrast, how can we know the bold colours

Brian Tracy says that life is a series of problems, occasionally interrupted by catastrophes

Looking forward, however, has the best rewards, like blue ribbons that can line the walls

New friends, new day, new-ness

The freshness of knowing the world is better off because we’re here

Reminding us that all is well, not missing

“In touch” can cost so little,

Even Hallmark has no corner on the market

A note, a photo can hold so much thought and memory

Like a run-on sentence that doesn’t stop for a breath for fear of interruption

The best memories are the ones with sweetness

Worth the revisit

Was just thinking of you, then

God Bless