Graveyards of Memory

Summary

The poem "Graveyards of Memory" reflects on personal redemption, the search for forgiveness, and the struggle to reconcile with the past.

Abstract

"Graveyards of Memory" is a contemplative poem that traverses the speaker's introspective journey through their past. The narrative weaves through memories, symbolized by graveyards, where the speaker seeks redemption and forgiveness. The poem delves into themes of loss, sin, and the quest for wisdom amidst haunting recollections. The speaker recounts a dream where God calls for forgiveness of those who have wronged them, paralleling the search for lost wisdom with the pursuit of elusive memories, including those of a distant and beautiful mother figure. The poem culminates in a plea for forgiveness for solitary remembrance and a nostalgic yearning for the purity of past love, suggesting that in the act of remembering and forgetting, one finds the essence of life and the courage to face the future.

Opinions

The speaker believes that God redistributes dreams, suggesting a divine influence on human aspirations and fate.
There is a sense of regret and longing for reconciliation with the past, as the speaker seeks to forgive and be forgiven.
The poem conveys a struggle with the pain of memories, depicted as mud puddles and stones thrown by others.
The mother is portrayed as a complex figure—beautiful yet distant and unforgiving—who plays a significant role in the speaker's emotional landscape.
The act of remembering is seen as both a curse and a blessing, with memories likened to worms that can either bait a hook for success or lead to entrapment.
The speaker expresses a desire to reclaim stolen memories and dreams, implying a resistance to letting go of the past completely.
The poem suggests that personal redemption involves embracing both the joyous and painful aspects of one's history.
The reference to "kissing God's cheek" indicates a personal, perhaps spiritual, connection with the divine, juxtaposed with very human experiences of love and loss.

A Poem

Canva-Photo by Mike Bird

I walk quietly through the graveyards of my memory, listening for the coming redemption of my lost soul. God steals the dreams of sinners and gives them to the rich.

I walk through the mud puddles that haunt my past, searching for worms to bait my hook, hoping to catch the big one before it gets away, slipping under the cover of rock and stone.

God came to me in a dream, calling my name, like a shepherd seeking a lost sheep, demanding that I forgive those who have tossed stones at me, forcing me to run naked through the streets paved with gold. I walk alone through the pathways of the ancients, seeking lost wisdom and memories of topless dancers.

You were my mother then— distant, beautiful and unforgiving. I listened to your breathing, hoping to catch you asleep in another land where only the blue gills swim. But you fooled me. And I was caught with my pants down. My thoughts broke like waves against the rock.

I reached for the phone so that I might call home for help in remembering. God came on the line and told me to forget about my past and to focus on the future. I listen to the songs of birds chirping in my backyard and wait for the sun to rise. We must grab what is not ours so that we may live another day.

You were my mother once. But you have become lost in the jumble of my memories. Forgive me for walking alone through the dark forest of our dreams. We shake hands with God and kiss His cheek. I laugh softly and remember the first time we made love in the back of your father’s station wagon.

Our sin was not in remembering to close the door and our dreams escaped into the night air. Forgive me for dancing in the wind like a butterfly lost among the roses. I steal my memories back one by one and wish for the return of the purity of your love.