melissaahowells - I REMEMBER THIS DAY AS IF IT HAD BEEN RECORDED IN A BOOK

THIS IS A TRUE STORY
THOUGH THE FACTS ARE NOT RECORDED IN
ANY BOOK OF HISTORY
IT OUGHT TO BE
HER-STORY

CERTAIN YOUNG WOMEN WERE GOING
THROUGH DONATIONS
AT A PLACE OF CHARITY

A DONATON CAME IN
WITH DOZEN OF PURSES
ALL OF THEM UNUSUAL
AND UNUSUALLY UNIQUE
AND BEAUTIFUL

SOME WERE LIKE BOXES
WITH SHINY MIRRORS INSIDE THEM
SOME YOU COULD SEE THROUGH
SOME HAD THE FEEL OF A SLEEK KITTEN
AND WERE IN COLORS OF JEWELS
SOME SEEMED LIKE POINTILISM PAINTINGS
THEIR CUMULATIVE STITCHES CREATING
A MATISSE OR A LEONARDO OR KLIMT
SOME HAD SMALLER MINIATURES OF THEMSELVES
ATTACHED TO THEIR INSIDES...LIKE BABIES NOT YET
UN-EMBILLACLED FROM THEIR NEW MOTHERS

PURSE AFTER PURSE
HAD TO BE UNPACKED FROM THE CARDBOARD
AND UNPACKED OF ITS CONTENTS WITHIN
MONEY AND TRINKETS AND BAUBLES
AND DIAMONDS AND LIPSTICK TUBES
AND GOODBAR WRAPPERS AND STUBS FROM
PLACES SHE HAD BEEN
AND TETLEY TEA BAGS IN NAPKINS
AND MATCHBOOKS UNUSED

I REMEMBER THIS DAY
AS IF IT HAD BEEN RECORDED IN A BOOK
ITS A STORY I FREQUENTLY UNPACK
IN MY MIND
IN THE NIGHT

WONDERED IF THE WOMEN OF THE PURSES
LOOKED ON AS WE
EMPTIED ALL OF HER DELIGHTS
AND COULD SHE READ MY MIND
WONDERING IF SHE WAS ONE OF THOSE
WHO IN THE END HAD TO SCRIMP AND SAVE

WHEN RIGHT IN THE BOX WAS A SMALL FORTUNE
IF SHE'D FOUND IT
COULD HER LIFE HAVE GONE FORWARD
AND NOT GOTTEN STALE TOO EARLY
LIKE THE TEA BAGS SHE USED OVER AND OVER
AND SAVED.

LEGAL COPYRIGHT FOR THIS POEM 12:48PM PACIFIC STANDARD TIME 3/30/2021
TIME AND DATE STAMPED AND WRITTEN DIRECTLY TO THE PAGE
BY THIS POETTESS AND AUTHORESS MELISSA A. HOWELLS AND ALSO FOR THIS
LEGALLY COPYRIGHTED AND REGISTERED POETRY SITE TITLE:
MELOO STRAIGHT FROM HER TILT-A-WORLD

RESPECT FOR THE GONE, THE STIL LIVING AND THE OLD LIVING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US
IS A NECESSARY THING...A PROMISE TO YOURSELF PRESENT AND IN THE FUTURE THAT
OFTEN COMES TOO NEAR AND TOO SOON.
WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH WHAT IS LEFT BEHIND AFTER A PERSON YOU LOVED IS GONE?
NO SHRINE BUILDING IS NECESSARY...BUT RESPECT AND THE MINDFULNESS OF A
TRUE LOVE IS ESSENTIAL.