Haiku: Things We Leave Behind
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” Pericles
Haiku: Things We Leave Behind – Nostalgic Items
Things we leave behind
Nostalgic for things we tossed
The lone typewriter
Ancient memories
We linger over old tales
Letters … a suitcase
What memories are triggered when you think of or see items from the past? We often remember our connections to others and how those things shaped our relationships. What we often leave behind is woven into our lives, and those memories shape our perceptions and interactions with those left behind. The lone typewriter is the storyteller’s tool for crafting a tale or two… or more. Writing is a lonely path that demands attention and discipline, so that lonely trigger does linger. The same goes for the memories we hold in letters, photos, and old suitcases that have seen better days yet bring back a flood of nostalgia for trips taken and such. At some point, we leave them behind too.
“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Haiku: Things We Leave Behind – Nostalgic Items
Haiku: Things We Leave Behind – Nostalgic Items
Things we leave behind
Let the past speak for itself
Phone conversations…
Things we can’t forget
In a quandary for truth
A carousel ride
Do we need to leave old memories/monuments behind? Old monuments and memories remind us to stay true to our hopes and dreams. I also understand that, in our desire to remember mostly fond memories of days past, we sometimes spin a lovely yarn that looks like a beautiful moving carousel and speaks of reinvented facts. Sometimes, those yarns serve an important role: they help us move on with our fondest memories; at other times, they help us pull down a curtain and forget the hurts of the past. That is why I love old photos, especially sepia ones that always seem to capture the mood and spirit of a time long gone. They say photos never lie… and they don’t. However, they can tell a layered story if we ask several people when/where/why they were taken. From time to time, we must let the past push forward and speak for itself, revealing secrets that need to be known…
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“Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave it with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” C.S. Lewis
Haiku: Things We Leave Behind – Nostalgic Items
Things we leave behind
A record of songs we penned
When life seemed … simple
Things close to our hearts
Take with you what matters most.
A lantern and key
What do the items trigger in you? When I listen to old records/songs from my younger years, they take me back to memories attached to those songs; both good and not so good. They hold a moment captured in time and give me a place and space to reminisce… A lantern and a key open doors and pathways, letting us leave the past and move into the present. We need those symbols. The lantern is poignant for me because I have many memories of using one to light a path in my Dad’s village, and of gathering around one to read a story or watch fireflies dance… all tender memories.
This post was inspired by a WordPress Prompt: Discover Challenge: The Things We Leave Behind. This week, create a post about something you’ve left behind. What is your existence like without it? What is its existence like without you? What does revisiting it make you feel? What does the future hold for it? Will you ever look back at it again? The things we leave behind disappear from our lives — but not the world. This week, make one of them the centerpiece of your post. Take a moment to pause and look back, and share what you find. To help other participants and new fans find your response in the Reader, tag your post #DiscoverWP. Not sure how to add a tag? Learn more.
Positive Motivation Tip: Linger on the past, but take what matters most with you.
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos: Nostalgia, Typewriter, via Pixabay and via Wikipedia
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
