the image by annca @ pixabay.com has been slightly modified by an overlay of a 1950’s family photo
lost in time
one day gone
and i don’t remember anymore
how my little brother looks like
— blame my eyes for they have seen
much to the seclusion of simplicity
a lock of golden hair
mingling with the innocence of
a face, or the hippie look
of david bowie?
sweet brown eyes round and full
of crinkled laughter silently
echoed within the brown of the eyes
but it could well be
the piercing green of that creature
in the exorcist
the pristine curve of
pinkish lips in the manner of a
smile and the reddish dimple of
a child three years old,
but no — i envision the sneer
of a fox and the dimple of
a gorilla.
i reach for the picture in my
pocket, but alas
the picture of my little brother
has blurred away
with the passing of
moments.
© said sadain, jr. 1974
Notes:
The poem “lost in time” first saw print in the Focus Philippines Magazine, 9 Nov. 1974 issue. The film The Exorcist (released to cinemas in late 1973) apparently confused my young mind enough back then to deserve being mentioned in this poem. So did David Bowie’s look confused me a lot, looking really more of hip than hippie with his gender-blending beatnik-ness that could easily color nightmares. While not much of a fan of Bowie’s music or his style, I did pay attention to some of his songs’ poetry, such as Life On Mars and Starman, this early interest to seemingly augur my later-life fascination with the exploits of Elon Musk 😀
— SSJ, 10 Nov. 2018
To me, you created quite a wistful image of your brother back then, made curiously vague with the media of the day mixed in. A pleasure to read, Said, also the influence on your later interests. It was a time of free expansion in many directions I suppose. Bowie was certainly about the show.
Thank you for the thoughtful comment, Steve. Indeed, a time of expansion, but not without its cost when one loses the sight of trees for the expanded view of the forest. We gain some, we lose some.
I agree, and my pleasure, Said.
Memory and culture mixed, a potent blend! Really liked this!
Indeed, Dave! And the willingness or unwillingness of memories to embrace or let go is what makes culture both divisive and unifying. Thank you for liking 🙂
Very true. My pleasure!
Bowie over Musk… any day! No… every day!!
certainly, aj!