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vermontpoetess submitted a contest entry to
What would the old version of you say to the new version of you? 2 months, 2 weeks ago
To My Past Self: Grandma's Funeral is But a Shadow of Our Grandson's Future Grief
Do you remember our first funeral?
How terror, unnatural poise, and a light blue dress
bound our fragmented shards
so tightly that they fused like plates of armor,
unyielding and permanent—
a mold to shape past, present, and future experiences?
Ones devoid of the therapeutic scent of lavender?
Yeah, me too.
And we still seek the warm hug of purple blossoms
underneath a smiling summer sun,
taunting us from breezes that cannot touch our skin,
and the reassurance in the face of overwhelming loss and upheaval
that we will be okay because we are loved.
And we are. Loved. Okay.
Despite being an unrecognizable lump of tarnished metal
electroplated and reforged too many times to count,
bits of funerary fabric adding a mosaic of color to the gray,
we are strong and beautiful like Vermont wildflowers—
a sea of scents swaying among long, emerald grasses,
infusing the wind that rushes from now to then
with a healing perfume that will cease to exist after we are gone
and leave him in a molten suit gasping for air.Style Score: 100
Voting starts July 2, 2025 12:00am
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This so beautiful, full of emotions and relatable to me and other peeps.
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Vicki,
Thank you for reading! I don’t usually write in free verse, so im glad to know you enjoyed it! ❤️
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Sometimes we all need to step out of our comfort zone. You are awesome!
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This is such a beautifully written piece. Your words are so powerful, and I can see your strength through the screen. Thank you so much for sharing this; many can relate to situations like these. ♥
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Thank you for reading. I was close with my grandmothers, but not like my first-born grandson and I are and I fear what my death will do to him. 💔
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