More fleeting than a memory
Are those footsteps in the sand.
Two pairs,
One sole
Survivor;
A knot tightening between unstilled hands.
The thought of dwindling phone calls,
The hope of something more.
An empty desk,
Two cups of coffee,
A knock upon the door.
When answered,
Nothing, as before,
And the day begins;
Once more, once more....
Author notes
Ah, the notes section..and for this tiny little bit or wordage I do believe I went all out, or tried to at any rate. Now, note that this is my own personal interpretation and that you may take from it something quite different and wholly unique to yourself...in fact, I hope that you do, for that's what poetry is all about.
Things to think about:
The Title:
'And Again, Just Once More' (The setup is an arrangement meant to negate the second half. By placing And Again first, it tells one that 'it', whatever 'it' may be, will be more than 'Just Once More.'
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Delving Further into Possible Meanings:
1. 'More fleeting than a memory' (and what can be more fleeting? life? friendship?...all are memories to someone, yet this has flown faster from the wings.)
2. 'Two pairs,
One sole'
To know a single words various meanings is to open up new levels of possibilities and meaning all around and so, I present the following:
Sole:
. The bottom or under surface of the foot.
. The corresponding under part of a shoe, boot, or the like, or this part exclusive of the heel.
. Being the only one; only: the sole living relative.
This odd little pun means both the bottoms of shoes and the one left behind by the missing/gone. They are the sole/only survivor and they now stand alone. Also, in this case, it relates to the similarly sounding soul as well, which shows the former closeness of the two. It is as if they were a pair, sharing a soul.
3. 'Survivor;
A knot tightening between unstilled hands.'
(The semicolon shows the distinctive link between the survivor and their way of coping. The tightening of the knot and the fact that the hands cannot still themselves, they are unstilled in every sense, shows the nature of how humans cope with distress/grief/loss/existence/etc in general. We must do something, anything, to keep our minds from running away with themselves and with those we have lost)
4. 'An empty desk,
Two cups of coffee,' (The missing person shall never return..but the one left behind still refuses to believe that, thus there are two cups of coffee out and one drinker despite the empty desk being quite visible and prominent within the room.)
5. 'A knock upon the door.
When answered,
Nothing, as before,' (Hope still lingers, dimming each time it is shot down, but never quite managing to be extinguished in the end, for we all need just a little bit of hope to survive.)
6. 'And the day begins;
Once more, once more....' (reinforces that this has happened before, and hints that such occurs each and every day, and will until the end of time until one returns, or the other follows.)
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Sidenote: There's a death metaphor slipped in here somewhere, I can just feel it...
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 9 of 9
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Short but extremely enjoyable and thought provoking. I'm sure a lot of people can apply this to their lives in some way, which gives it that much more power. *hug*s and best wishes always... ~Genie~
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Well...i think this is a great poem with lots of depth and the fact that you have put an explanantion is a great idea.
I can relate to this of late because I was in a relationship with an older woman for a while but then it dwindled on her part and I felt there was no reciprocation(see my poem of same title).
I went to see her recently but she's not been well and I gave her a letter...I haven't heard from her since...LOL! Hence the poem is about me...thanks!
Thanks for asking for my analysis...I'm flattered to think someone values my thoughts...anytime!
Nigel Goodwin
Keep writing...I love it -
I hate to admit that I could never write so much with so little using such finesse and perfection. I dare say I'm still quite envious.
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I like this poem. It is indeed deep and can have more than one meaning, plus the author's comments were very helpful. Thanks for entering.
~Diana -
I like teh death metaphor. I like teh notes, too. Mmmm.... reminds me of people burning in elementary school classrooms...
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Fdskjfkjsdhfkjsdfkjsdfkjsdjf GAAAAH!
It's so damn good! My brain just melted in the complete skill of it all. I need your brain. Can I take it? Please?
Ahem. Basically, it rocked totally.
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My sweet one,
I think you wrote this very well! It's a joy to once again come and view your poetry! All the best to you in all you set out to do...!
~Your Mum~ -
I'm just laying out my own thoughts on the matter. You can take from it anything you so please.
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Hmmm ...
interesting poem. Lotsa different thoughts. You laid it all out there for me to chew on. I thought we were supposed to read and digest meaning, interpretation, or application for ourselves. Am I wrong about this at AllPoetry? (I'm new.)
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