Wednesday, April 21, 2021

You Will Forget Me (when I'm gone)



PAD Challenge21: Here is Robert Lee Brewer's Prompt for Today

For today's prompt, take the phrase "(blank) Me," 
replace the blank with a word or phrase, 
make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. 
Possible titles include: "Tell Me," "Forgive Me," and/or "You've Got to Believe Me." 
Of course, feel free to bend the rules 
and have a title like "Home Sweet Ho(me)" or "Pick a The(me)."

Okay, so I acknowledge,
my homespun scribblings will never grace the Literary World's Center Stage,
but it's still important to remember,
'that fields of ink may live from age to age'

These volumes below are living proof !

 





These few pages above are just a glimpse of 
this volume packed with ancient masterpieces,
as powerful/relevant today as the day they were penned!

My name will fade from thoughts and lips when I am dead and gone
The echo-world of 'us' will slip as Time’s Corp marches on
The bulk of my possessions and the things that I held dear
Will pass through hands; for we are all just brief sojourners here
All bound to be forgot, as generations disappear

Thus, here’s to poetry; its sea of passion undeterred
For though the poet may be gone, long lives the written word

The hand that held the pen, long after it returns to dust
May cheer some future fellowman, may buoy failing trust
May remind him or her though we are centuries apart
Time never really could deter the matters of the heart
Where love is our utter need and longing is its dart

Then write, dear poet, write; but bear in mind the grit of ink
Though we are gone a poem might live longer than we think

My name will fade like morning mist beneath the glaring sun
Soon all the faces that I kissed will to death’s tryst succumb
Who knows who waits to turn the leaves of Poet’s printed jot
What thread of influence will weave through some far future thought
Or who will glean the remnant sheaves of harvests, long forgot

Therefore, dear poet, as we plant the pastures of the page
Let’s not forget that fields of ink may live from age to age

© Janet Martin

7 comments:

  1. I keep reading this and keep finding new things to love -we are all brief sojourners here, long lives the written word - just everything - right from the title!

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    1. Trish, thank-you so much for reading and for your kind words!

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  2. This is truly beautiful, and true, and a poetry book by Janet Martin would fit write in, next to those volumes.

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    1. Dear Sasha, thank-you! I am humbly honoured by your kind words! I would love to publish a book; the dilemma is knowing where/how to begin sorting through thousands of 'ink-darlings' to pick a handful!;-/ As I wrote this I was impacted by the realization that the only way any of these books came to be was by doing more than wishing and dreaming...and doubting and fearing!

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    2. It would be hard work, but it doesn't have to be one book, you just need to begin with one. Maybe, a collection with several parts, something like: nature poems, love poems, poems about children and family, poems about faith and God.. maybe about fifteen poems each, so it'll come to about 60 pages/poems.. maybe choose your most prolific year, or a year that was particularly meaningful...just to narrow it down a bit, and then start rereading and choosing. These are just ideas of course :) It would be so great to see you published!

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    3. thank-you so much for these helpful suggestions! I appreciate them more than you can know<3 When I think about it in 'sections' it seems more manageable and smaller books are more feasible/affordable! Oh!! Maybe I could try for something like a Life Is Poetry Waiting To Be Written Collection! Modest Covers-different colours?! oh, thank-you so much for supplying some solid ground for the wheels to start turning on!

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    4. You are welcome :) Love your idea!

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I hope you enjoyed your pause on this porch and thank-you for your visit!