Sepia Moments
Touching your profile in sepia,
Tracing my finger
Around your smile.
Bundles of letters tied with ribbon,
Frayed and faded
It hugs your words.
A tear-stained message,
Peppered with smudged pools
Of diluted ink,
Telling of your death in war.
Sixty years of tears,
Believing you loved me.
That you held me in your heart
As you breathed your last.
Pages of memories
To turn
And fold.
To mark for future return,
When dwelling and lingering
Stings like salt
Seeping into a suppurating wound.
And then, a voice whispers cruelly
Shredding those pages,
Tearing at the truth,
Erasing each word.
A chance remark reveals
You live!
You lied.
A hero in war; a coward in love.
I heard the angel who nursed you,
Whilst I grieved,
Shared your three-score years.
Whilst I held in my arms
Your sepia bundle of words
And the child you never knew.
Angela Barton
Wow! A powerful short story beautifully told and the ending is a surprise. These words will stay with me for a very long time.
ReplyDeleteAnn Patey
Oh that's so poignant and powerful, Ange - I love it!
ReplyDeleteJust lovely, Ange xxx
ReplyDeleteA beautiful poem! Well done.
ReplyDeleteI found this very powerful. It is a perfect story wonderfully encapsulated into a poem. The language and imagery are beautiful and evocative. I especially like the contrast in 'a hero in war, a coward in love'. More poems please!
ReplyDeleteThank you all SO much for your support and comments.
ReplyDeleteAnn - Thank you for commenting. I'm so glad you found it moving. X
Rosemary - Thank you for dropping by! You are always so supportive. It means a lot. X
Nettie - Hello Nettie. How are your lovely poodles? Thank you for taking time to read and leave a comment. X
Pat - I really appreciate your supportive comment. Thank you for visiting my blog and caring enough to leave a message! X
Sue - Having read your poetry and short stories, I take it as a huge compliment that you enjoyed Sepia Memories. Thank you so much for your lovely words. X