The old leather belt

Some things accompany us through life.

Oh what a life the two had shared
the ups, downs, joys and pain,
it'd seen him wed and then divorced
then wed to her again.
It was there when both his boys were born
then attended both their wakes,
witnessing the numbing grief
caused when a futile war life takes.
Every birthday, anniversary,
gatherings of every kind,
the old leather belt around his spreading waist
you'd be always sure to find.
And now as he lay resigned to death
with his twice wed wife nearby,
his constant support for near 60 years
was there to hear her cry.
Twas fitting then that when interred
in his oft used Sunday best,
the old leather belt would accompany him,
together forever both laid to rest.

Author's Note

Hmmm, God only knows where this came from :)

Reviews

[Ken Simm.]

What a great and it must be said moving concept. Can I say I enjoyed this without sounding too morbid?
Extremly well written piece my friend.

[Gee]

Thank you Ken.
Hope you are still in one piece after the storms :)

[Ken Simm.]

Just another winter here in the Heelands by the way.. As the great man said Scotland has two seasons June and Winter. hope you survived too.

[Coyote Poetry]

We do keep some things forever. I have a few items. I been carrying a book of poetry since 1977. The book sits on my bookshelf now. I liked the poem. You told a lifetime story in the words. Thank you my friend for sharing the amazing words and thoughts.
Coyote

[Gee]

Thank you Coyote.
Mum's watch is the only possession of any age that I treasure.
Hope you are well my friend

[Coyote Poetry]

I am okay dear friend and I hope you are doing well. You are welcome.

[Jennifer Patino]

Well written, sad poem. :( You told a whole life story around that old leather belt which is really awesome. Nice work.

[Gee]

Thank you Jennifer

[Eilis]

I had a belt that lasted me twenty years, with regular wear. Have since passed it to my daughter. It’s odd, sometimes, the things we discover to be lasting. And the things we come to depend on without really thinking about it.

What is great about this is how you’ve juxtaposed the loss of life and the off again on again marriage alongside the material element of the belt. We tend to think of possessions as having a shorter life, on the whole, so I thought that was an interesting element of the poem.

And then, of course, there’s the dedication of the man. He was a loyal sort.

A cool poem, Gee. Beginnings of a story maybe.

[Gee]

With the attention span of a cabbage white butterfly very quick writes are my absolute limit Eilis.
Thank you for commenting :)

[Neville]

A sad poem indeed and filled with nostalgia … if this aint founded in reality .. then you really need to write a novel squire coz that is one hell of an imagination you have there...

Neville

[Gee]

An under used mind that wanders often :)
Cheers Neville

[Neville]

Great minds eh :)

[Chris Shaw]

You know Gee this poem reminds me so much of my Grandad's era. He either had a huge belt round his trousers to hold them up or braces. I can't remember him wearing a pair of trousers that fitted snuggly round the waist. Your lines give great imagery. Sad poem as well. Hope the storm over the weekend didn't cause any damage where you are. All the best.

Chris

[Gee]

Thank you Chris. Survived the storm with barely a hair in my quiff ruffled :)
Hope you are well

[Daisy]

wow. this was moving, the rhymes flowed sweetly and this is honestly one of the best pieces i've read on here. we all carry our own belt into our grave and thats what this means to me when i apply it in my life. take care!

[Gee]

Thank you Daisy

[Lorry]

This just made me realise that I too use the same belt, despite having a few, which has and does see me through thick and thin, literally.
Perhaps we all get attached to such things that supports us through life, no matter the stresses or strains we put on them.
Remembering who i was with at the time, I reckon it isn't far off half my life old. Hope it lasts to the end.
A beautiful and thoughtful write Gee, of such things a stranger would never even notice.

[Gee]

Thanks Lorry. Makes ya wonder where these writes come from :)
Hope you have survived the storms unscathed

[Lorry]

Ach, just psychological trauma 😀

[jacob erin-cilberto]

in older age, we expand in some ways we would rather not...but for each notch in the belt is a period in our lives where we wonder if the pants of life will still fit...and if the belt is strong enough to hold.
j.

[Gee]

I'm hoping I outlive the belt :) although the belly might have me shopping for a bigger one.
Thanks Jacob, hope you are well.