Infantiae Requiem Aeternam Eius

Within my memory there resides pieces of me- this is who I was- where I came from- and my ode to those lost times.

In my memory there resides

The teddy bear swing and the

Sandbox in the shade

(Each grain so cold against

My knees as I kneel)

And that mysterious old shed

Strange and alien piece of

Whirling metal atop

Its shingled roof

Standing a silent vigil on

The fringes of our land and home

 

In my memory there resides

An infinite score of Legos

Scattering the floor like fallen leaves

Scatter the ground outside

Near the crocuses and other flowers

Which have no name in a child’s mind

 

In my memory there resides

“Porkchop” and

“One for the money, two for the show”

Along with Montessori

And all its wonders

Set out upon trays and shelves and mats

In my memory there resides

Carnivores and herbivores and dinosaurs

Butterfly kisses

And Bible stories

Of hope and damnation

Spyro the Dragon, Sonic the Hedgehog

A row of dusty shotglasses, never used

But admired for their designs

 

In my memory there resides

Woody and Buzz

And infinity and beyond

Plastic figures

Each with their own name,

Their own story

An absence of jeans

And an abundance of sweats

 

In my memory there resides

Nana and Papa and

A myriad of nameless faces

Lost amidst the haze of time

Once friends

Now only broken fragments

Of bygone memory

In my memory there resides

Summers and winters

Of careless bliss

Unhindered, unbothered by

Worldly troubles

An atmosphere of absolute

Love

Absolute

Joy

Shattered by a home which

Unravels at the seams

Once knitted by love

Now slowly unstitched

By the strife of reality

And the realization of truths

 

In my memory there resides

Kielbasa and pierogies

Great Grandma in her enigma

Of unfathomable age

That rusting and bent swing-set

Upon which so many

Careless afternoons were spent

 

In my memory there resides

These things

And in my memory alone

The innocence of a world lost

The scales which covered

My eyes as a child

Torn away with violent abandon

By a world uncaring

These pictures-

These pieces of me-

Locked away within

My memories

Worn and faded

By time's weathering tides

 

 

 

Author's Note

The title literally translates to "Requiem of his Childhood", which is exactly what this is.

Reviews

[reflectingus]

So witty, words are used perfectly, and I love how I can relate to some of this (Woody and Buzz lol). The poem creates a great imagery, I can almost imagine the first part in my head, because of that awesome description. I read this poem intently, every word caught my attention, it was just beautiful, and very witty, again. I also love the last part, it just speaks the truth, and that feeling of nostalgia has been conveyed very awesomely. This is a really great piece. :)

[ShameemAkhtar]

'In my memory there resides'

You definitely have a very good memory by the looks of it and by the length of the poem... :)

Having that said, it was a fantastic way going about this piece, very direct in its approach yet the descriptive through and through perfectly portrays the memory of a child with its mystery and specific images that stay etched out along with skewed understanding that only a child's limited understanding of the world and open imagination can pick up.

I think hear of words like 'teddy bear swing', 'And that mysterious old shed', 'Spyro the Dragon', 'Nana and Papa and A myriad of nameless faces', 'Great Grandma in her enigma Of unfathomable age'

Despite it's length, which by no means is a negative, this is a very fluid read. You do not want this to end, you want to keep exploring the memory.

The only thing I feel does not fit is the following line 'An absence of jeans'. Why you can match everything else with a child's memory, this one line does not fit one and feels like the conscious line from an adult that somehow creeped in the writing rather than a child's memory. How do you remember an absence of in the absence unless it is in introspection in contrast to its presence...

I am sure this line will not strike the same meaning in most readers but I can't help pointing it out.

On a plus side, interesting choice of title. The Latin (I presume this is Latin) adds to the mystery...

Great job

[Raven Starhawk]

Charming. The lines above are vivid and clever, lovely and yet showcase a whole other universe I cannot explain and properly channel in my simple mind.

[Kiri Nells]

Lovely piece! I really enjoyed this musing of yours! Completely and honestly :D