A Simple Gesture ~ with audio

/ Ken Gierke / rivrvlogr

 

A Simple Gesture

Need I say already
when so much time has passed,
when each passing moment
seems to take moments with it?

Sight and sound blurred
and muffled, impressions
that bring new meaning each time
my mind tries to repeat them.

Amentalio. The word would be
foreign to you, but I can imagine
your reaction to it, that gesture
not lost to me, yet. A shrug,

the slightest tilt of your head,
followed by a question.
How can you forget something
that is such a part of your soul?

This poem is my response to Poetics: The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, the prompt from Linda Lee Lyberg at dVerse ~ Poets Pub, which is to use one of ten words taken from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, by John Koenig. I had written a poem using one of John Koenig’s words when they were still available to be seen on his website. Since that source is no longer available, I definitely will be getting a copy of the book, so thank you to Linda for the heads up.

From The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows:

Amentalio: the sadness of realizing that you’re already forgetting sense memories of the departed- already struggling to hear their voice, picture the exact shade of their eyes, or call to mind the quirky little gestures you once knew by heart.

33 thoughts on “A Simple Gesture ~ with audio”

  2. Intriguing, Ken. Thank you for the perspective and a new word in my vocabulary, my grief. Something unexpected is happening lately – 3 times in the past month or so – I see someone mirroring my son in bodily appearance. It’s unsettling and yet a blessing – reinforcing my memory of little mannerisms I very likely will begin to forget. I’ve put these first three into writing!

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    • I’m sure he will always be in/on your mind. A bond that strong endures.

      I was intrigued by The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows when it was used in a prompt for National Poetry Writing Month. It won’t be long before it’s on my shelf, now that it’s available as a book.

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  13. I love this piece, Ken, and your reading was killer. So many family members and friends gone on ahead of us, but having loved or known them enriched our lives and further shaped our world view. Nice work, sir.

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