Missing by Pat Garcia
Some things get lost.
Some simply misplaced.
Some disappear into thin air,
Only to reappear at the yard sale,
Where items collected have been brought,
And the number of years,
Spent in one city,
One house,
One family,
Become a fading nostalgic memory of what used to be.
Missing objects sometimes suddenly reappear,
As the last breath of a life reigns us in.
Making us see the futility of our hoarding,
Our grasping for what we cannot take with us.
Missing objects cry out,
Lost but now found,
And take center stage at the yard sale.
They move into the house of another,
Or land on a huge pile at the waste disposal,
Waiting for the grinder, as we wait for the reaper.
***
Wishing everyone a nice weekend.
Be safe.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia
- Posted in: Blog posting
- Tagged: Memory, MISSING, Poetry by Pat Garcia, Reaper
Walk On 
Lovely poem Patti. Nostalgic for me because I still have small gifts from my children who are now raising families of their own. A small blue jar that was covered with paper tape and painted blue. I keep change in it. A sea shell pressed into putty and painted sits on a shelf, and a letter holder made out of ice cream sticks with a note framed on the front of it. Hearts drawn in a circle and ‘To mom and dad’ printed with a child’s hand. It sits on my desk.
Other items are tucked away in special places for me to take out and enjoy whenever I like.
A hoarder? Not by any means, just a mom. :o)
Ciao
Patricia
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Thank you, Patricia. I know what you mean about the small gifts that you have from children. The Italians are family oriented and that is one thing I admire about Italian families. You are an Italian mom and I believe every object that you keep has a story behind it, woven in love. You are a mother who spreads love and it is a pleasure to know you.
Shalom aleichem,
Patti
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Thanks for sharing your poetry with us, Pat. This piece brings us a whole new perspective about the various articles we accumulate over time – and, as you say, we can’t take any of it with us! Keep writing! Peace to you, Pat!
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Thank you, John. I have to confessed that my office was totally flooded the end of May. I lost almost everything because everything got wet. I had to throw out 90 percent of what I had accumulated in my three room office. Many of my books were books from my university studies. Books that I had not used for years or novels that I’d read and now they sat in my bookcase gathering dust. Because the books were in English, the local library has no use for them. But, I had not wanted to give them away. There was furniture where I thought, maybe I’ll use it sometime in the future. It too gathered dust, and I can go on and on. It took the flood to make me realize that none of those things were relevant to my life anymore. And so, I have learned a very important lesson. To let go of that what I don’t need anymore. The flood really affected my life and my thinking. I am still downsizing and I will continue until I feel comfortable with the items I decide to keep.
I wish you a pleasant and hopefully sunny Sunday afternoon.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat
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Good Morning/ afternoon, Pat! A flood! Oh, my, how awful for you. But, as you say, it forced you to re-examine your life priorities and that’s a good thing. Thanks for sharing this.
Have a great day – yes we have sunshine – but high humidity – yuck! Peace be with you!
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Can material possessions initiate change inside one? Good storytelling always leaves me feeling adjusted internally. Your poetry has initiated a shift to my inner self. Thank you for your thoughtful arrangements of words.
Cheers,
R.
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Excellent question and thank you for sharing your feelings and thoughts about this poem. It encourages me to continue with my poetry and invest more time in this avenue of my writing.
I wish you an engaging and pleasant Sunday afternoon.
Shalom aleichem.
Pat
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Peace to you, Pat
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lovely prose Patti thank you – few words that say so much. Like few belongings that mean much and may to others as well – until the grim reaper comes grinding – (juxtaposing your words here)
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Thank you, my dear Susan. Since my flooding, this collecting and keeping has made me rethink why of what I decide to keep.
Sending you a hug. Have a nice Sunday afternoon.
Shalom aleichem,
Patti
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Really nice. I liked this very much.
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Thank you, Sandra. Wishing you a nice Sunday afternoon.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat
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Your welcome
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Very nice! (Especially nice to see after returning home after dropping off a full box and bag at at the thrift store. Items lost – on purpose.)
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Thank you, Trisha Faye. I know exactly what you mean. My entire office was among the homes flooded in my area of Germany. I had to throw away 90 percent, and I found so much that I’d never used or only used once. I made a promise to myself. Never again.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat
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Yes, Patricia, this is a very lovely poem and so appropriate. It is amazing where things pop-up. Also, it is amazing that once you clear things out that you suddenly don’t miss them!
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So true, my dear friend. It took a flood in my basement/office to remind me of what is really essential. Yesterday, I thought about the people in Armatrice, Italy. I didn’t have that kind of deep experience, but I could relate to them in so many ways. You’re awoken in the early morning and with thirty seconds to a minute, you lose everything you’ve ever worked for, and some even lost their lives. Maybe, we all need to re-evaluate ourselves and our principles.
Have a nice Sunday afternoon.
Shalom aleichem
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Nice prose, Pat. It’s important, or maybe not, to differentiate between objects being kept for no good reason and those kept to light the tinder of memories from days gone by that cannot be restored except from sentimental objects of the past. Hard choices to make when some things just have to go.
Hugs, Micki
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My Dear Micki,
I didn’t differentiate because I’ve discovered within myself that letting go is a necessary part of life. it doesn’t mean we forget. The memories are like golden nuggets that always stay in the treasure chest of our hearts.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat
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I like the poem, Patti. It makes my head spin a little about all the different possibilities for metaphors. But then, I re-read it a few times and just let the words do their work on my emotions. Very nice!
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A.J.
Right On! It is a treasure knowing you.
Shalom aleichem,
Patti
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This is good, Patricia, really good. So true. Another winner. Beautiful. Thank you.
Shalom aleichem–
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Your poem is so true…objects come and objects go. They are sweet memories of past times with my children, or even my own childhood. However, It also made me think that our relationships come and go. I remember the time I “lost” you for a time….a horrible time in my life. How happy I was to be united with you again and rekindle our relationship. Relationships are even more special than objects! Life takes some away, but sometimes we are reunited with people we think we have lost here on earth, just as you describe your objects and that is so special! One day we will be united with all our loved ones who have died and gone before us and are waiting for us in Heaven too! That will be the best reunion of all! Until then, enjoy your objects and relationships! Well written!
Ann
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Thank you so much, Sis. One of the most pleasant surprises in my life occurred when my mother told me you had found her number and called her. For eighteen years, I had tried to find you. I had stopped searching and begun to enjoy the memories. When my mother called and told me, my day became brighter. The essential things in life are untouchable. They are precious, invisible strands of gold that are put in our hands.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat
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“The memories are like golden nuggets that always stay in the treasure chest of our hearts.” Thank you. This means so much to me right now.
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I thank you for coming by and sharing that with me. It has made my day.
All the best.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat
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