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Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash. Leonard Cohen

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Leave a Message

image by Sarolta Ban 
She calls the number every day
just to hear his voice on their  answering machine
Her friends and the kids say
that it's been long enough
that it's time
but she can't erase the message
It's all she has left of him
After all,
his scent has faded
from his clothes and the bed linen
She no longer gets startled
when she awakens alone
So she clings to this last piece
She won't make him a ghost
at least, not yet
She listens to him say
"Leave your message after the tone"
She pauses, then
whispers "I love you."

submitted for Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, Tuesday Platform and
Magpie Tales, Mag 274

17 comments:

Helen said...

Dear Mouse ~~ two treats, a Leonard Cohen quote and a sigh-producing poem ....

Sanaa Rizvi said...

This is so touching.. brought a tear to my eye! Beautifully executed.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

So moving, Lolamouse........you have captured her so well I can see her.

brudberg said...

Perfectly moving.. this is so tender, and I like the thought of getting close to someone by that single recording.

Kerry O'Connor said...

I often think of this conundrum of modern technology which leaves traces of loved ones around once they have gone - especially those indelible facebook pages stored in the great unknown of cyberspace. Your poem is heart-breaking.

Maude Lynn said...

This makes me so sad. I recognize myself in this.

Buddah Moskowitz said...

I understand this - I cherish the voice on my long-deceased father's answering machine. Excellent poem.

Unknown said...

It's amazing how voice and memory can still conquer death over and over again. Very inspiring.

Unknown said...

I have a friend who did exactly this, for nearly a decade. What devoted love. What loss.

Marian said...

Oh, man. I see myself here, too. Wrenching truthiness.

C.C. said...

Ouch. This is so true to life.

Marcoantonio Arellano (Nene) said...

this pierced my heart. my real life experience that this piece conjures in my hearts memory is a last call on the telephone from my mamasita when she was living in Va. Beach and i was located in northern Indiana...in one of her intermittent lucid moments as she struggled with dimentia and alzheimers she asked me in a soulful voice...'when you coming to see me, can you come now'? unfortunately i couldn't get away and that time and that was the last conversation i had with her. she passed a week later.

i did finish that call as i did with every call with her by saying ...te amo, mama (i love you, mom).

gracias mi amiga

Susie Clevenger said...

This reaches right into my heart. My father died in 2011 and I still have his number on my cell phone. I just can't remove it.

Fireblossom said...

Touching stuff, dear Mousey.

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

Oh shit - that's VERY close to home!

Jinksy said...

Works like that with old tape recordings, too, not to mention digital ones on computer. Hard to listen to those long lost voices, but far too precious to erase...

Helena said...

You never fail to get my emotions going with your words. I love this.

sorry for the late mag comment but it's been one of those weeks......again.....!