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Haiku: Things We Leave Behind

20/07/2016

“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

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 played a role in our relationships. What is often left behind is woven into our lives and those memories influence our perceptions and interactions with those left behind. The Lone typewriter is the storyteller’s tool used to craft 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 over 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

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 carousal 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 carousal and speaks of reinvented facts. Sometimes, those yarns serve an important role as they help us move on with our fondest memories, and at other times, they help us pull down a curtain and forget the hurts of the past. This is why I love old photos; especially the sepia photos that always seem to capture the mood and spirit of a time long gone. They say photos never lie… true. However,  they can tell a layered story if we ask a number of people to remember when/where/why they were taken. We must, from time to time, let the past push forward and speak for itself to reveal 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

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 or 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 for us to 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 how we sometimes gathered 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.

 

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Positive Motivation Tip: Linger over the past but, take with you what matters most.

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

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