It was an old song
being played on an unpopular station.
As the old man drove through the night,
he reached for the radio knob,
trying to eliminate the static
which made the song seem as far away
as the memories it called to his mind,
memories of a time when the song was new,
when the melody and soft-ended vocals
eased the aching desires of his youthful heart;
ensured the glorious promise and potential
so sure to be realized, in time.
Time which had passed.
Gone forever.
His had been a full life in its way
but the song still tugged at him
the same way it had then
only now, rebuking him
for how short he had fallen of those dreams,
how untrue he had been to that young boy.
He mumbles to himself, "One lifetime is not enough"
and begins to hum the rest of the song
until it is swallowed completely by static
as if the song itself was a musical phantom
traversing the distance of years
to test him,
to see if there was any of the boy left,
and finding there wasn't,
had sadly returned to the past alone.
He turns off the radio
and hurtles into the misty black.
- Mark Rickerby
Author notes
Written December 8th, 2003
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trying to eliminate the static
which made the song seem as far away
as the memories it called to his mind,
memories of a time when the song was new
No, as a matter of fact it is not only these lines that I have liked, but the whole idea of this write. I like the reference of the old tune and the distance of years. It is so amazing how so many things bring memories, here, the tune when he was young, those days. Have been there several times. I even get these feeling when I get the smell of a particular fragrance, going back to that particular time. I have always loved your work, but how can I expect anything less from you. Thanks for pointing out this one. -
Amazing what music can do to us... songs take transport us... back to a time, a moment. happens to me all the time :-)
another enjoyable read, nicely done.
~ Wendy -
Hi Mari,
It's so funny that you should mention Kahlil and Hesse (and Coelho the other day), all of whom are my favorite writers! It was Siddhartha, Narcissus and Goldmund, Steppenwolf, Peter Camenzind, etc., that made me want to be a writer in the first place! We are definitely kindred spirits.
Happy New Year!
Mark
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JadedWanderer,
I just realized that our names are the same except you've been around longer than I have, I guess. I'll probably be jaded soon, too. haha
Re. staying child-like, I agree. People who have doggedly refused to let go of their childhood are always the funnest people to be around. God forbid we ever become adults completely. I see some people with faces a mile long and no joy in their eyes and I can't imagine them ever being children. It's a tragedy.
Always nice to hear from you! Happy New Year!
Mark
Edited on Mar 13, 4:37 because ''. -
Hi Gypsy,
I agree. Anybody who thinks music isn't a major part of their life is kidding themselves. Someone said, "Music washes from the soul the dust of everyday life." And each song holds memories, as if it's from our own personal soundtrack.
Thanks for stopping by. Happy New Year!
Mark -
To search inside for the person we used to be, sometimes we don't need to be old to have that need. Some people lose themselves along the way.
Your poem shows that somehow we still can *stay* alive and *feel* life, no matter how old or who we are.
Reading your poems is like to read some words from Hesse or Khalil. Make us have very deep thoughts.
Thanks for this one!
*Happy New Year!*
Mari
Edited on Dec 31, 11:45 p.m. because ''. -
Quite poignant, my friend. At times the mirror is too true. I wonder how many people can look back and feel they HAVE accomplished their goals and were not turned all about by the winds of reality. Of course, some of those goals were built upon such shifting sands.....we were so young. I do not fault myself that I never made astronaut! :-)
A VERY well written piece with no distracting mispellings. Oddly enough, though written with no meter, it still flowed like honey through my mind. Great job! -
A write that is so easy to relate to ...music , songs , the memories they can evoke , good ones bad ones , dreams shattered or hopes fulfilled . I have a plaque that says " Music is the dream of the soul " and that can be true , yet it can also bring on so much melancholy and sadness . I thoroughly enjoyed this write of yours , and I am sure I will think of it now when I happen to hear something on the radio that evokes some kind of response in my inner self
I do believe this is the first time I stopped by your pages , but I will make it a point to return and i will make it a point to look for that Chickensoup book . I do have quite a few of those
best of luck in your writing ,
Reenie
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Hm... And old song bringing back memories of an innocent forgotten, correct? ...The innocent within ourselves, which we betray.
I've met people who have never lost their innocence, and child, and they are wonderful.
Made me think, and re-read, just to make sure I didn't miss any of this great poem.
Jade -
hmmm I'd say this was a coincidence (if I believed in them) but the strangest thing lol.. when I logged on I had a song moaning away in the back of my mind.. read your nice comment and here I am (of all poems) And would ya wanna know what song?
This is for all the lonely people
Thinking that life has passed them by
Don't give up until you drink from the silver cup
And ride that highway in the sky
This is for all the single people
Thinking that love has left them dry
Don't give up until you drink from the silver cup
You never know until you try....
Songs, lyrics, words, poems.. they all can have such an impact on our lives, sometimes without even our realizing it. I find comfort in old songs, and sometimes I find heartbreak or disappointment. I think the song in my mind and the poem you wrote are a nice combination of reality and mortality.. a reminder that there are yet things to do and how much I don't want to be like the man suffling off into the misty black
Thank you.. a wonderful, thought provoking write.
Gypsy -
Thanks RT,
Glad you survived your meeting with the tree. I wonder how many crashes radios have caused? Then again, most radios are digital these days so there's no more fine tuning. Of course, there's always playing drums on the dashboard or getting completely lost in song while barreling down the highway. Yes, a radio can be a very dangerous thing. haha
Thanks for dropping by. Merry Christmas!
Mark -
I could relate to every line. One lifetime is not enough, that is for sure. Once while I was driving, trying to adjust the radio, I let the wheel move as I reached for the knob, and I ended up side swiping a tree.
My car wasn't pretty after that. I kinda thought that was what was going to happen in this one, but he turned the radio off before he hurtles into the misty black.
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Well, we are definitely different in that regard because I am one wordy SOB, as you may have noticed. haha
Thanks Grand Master,
Mark -
Excellent....
Don
I write haiku... so my comments are short..... lolololololol -
MuseStalker,
You know, I've been told that about this poem several times now.
Actually, one of the reasons I posted this one was to see if I would hear it again. Haha Therefore, I am scrubbing the final lines. Thanks for the input - and for the typo correction. I appreciate the critique and the encouragement.
Mark -
Excellent
Very well done. There is so much aching truth in this. I particularly love the lines: "traversing the distance of years, to test him, to see if there was any of the boy left, and finding there wasn't, had sadly returned to the past alone". The imagination is fired by the thought of a song arriving from the past to search for some remnant of an old worshipper...and then leaving in disappointment. Ah...lovely. Very poignant. If you don't mind a few suggestions: I think "hurdles" should have been "hurtles"...unless you meant to conjure an image of the old man driving off to face the next obstacle of life...which I toyed with a bit...interesting and certainly worth leaving it for the mental exercise value alone. Also, (and this is just my opinion) I would have preferred that the poem end after "He turns off the radio and hurdles into the misty black". I think the rest is superfluous...and sort of belabors a point very nicely and elegantly made earlier. It felt to me a bit like a lecture, and was somewhat off-putting. But, I love the piece and find it truly remarkable and satisfying just the way it is. I'll just ignore the last few lines. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderfully evocative and poignant piece.
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