Caught
Eager
Perfume
borne out of curiosity-
I flip through old journals.
teenage angst
stops me on my track-
I shake my head surprised
about the way,
I used to behave back then,
uncaring for others.
I cringe
at what I was as an adolescent;
ruled more by hormones.
I flip bit more-
going through those elated
times getting truly caught
in the past.
I get a waft of perfume of olden
times left far behind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is only half a poem. I don't know if I will get around completing it.
A half a poem from you dear sistah is worth more than a book. If only we could have seen the future; but then, who would we be now?
ReplyDeleteRose
xo
Everytime I reread my journals I laugh, cringe, sigh, shake my head, and think. My I've come a long way...and the adventure has been worth every trip and tumble along the way. :o)
ReplyDeletebtw: I didn't know it was only half a poem til you said something.
This poem takes me back to high school. Very nostalgic feeling flowing through this one. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, I feel this is complete - leaves a little bit for the reader to ponder...Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why you see this as half........seems rather whole, and good, to me!
ReplyDeleteHmmm... I have quite a few of those old journals hidden in the back of a closet, myself. :) Makes me want to pull them out again too!
ReplyDeleteWell, it may be only half of a poem, but it is a very good and very accurate one.
ReplyDeleteI journal... and I flip back through the years, from time to time... and I think...
"WHAHUH?"
Isn't it great that we grow?
I think your roots are very deep, and your leaves can almost reach the sun.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
I think this is a good poem--ending up being caught in the smells of the past.
ReplyDeleteI felt it complete, Gautami. It told a story.
ReplyDeletehow wonderful that you have alas given us a view into the "window" of your world... your work is always beautiful... but i love this added personal aspect....
ReplyDeleteAnother great poem. Wish I had written journals when I was a teenager.
ReplyDeleteteenage angst
ReplyDeletestops me on my track-
Love that part.
I rarely, if ever, let myself go back and read old journals.
I've found though, that equally dangerous are things like email, which I never delete. I've been known to get myself lost in both the good and the bad memories there.
And when I lived abroad, a friend of mine saved every postcard and letter I sent her: years later, it's interesting to read what I had to write to her on a given day. Maybe someday I will compare that to my old journals.
Seems perfect the way it is. It speaks volumes to me as is.
ReplyDeleteHi Gautami! I really like this, and it feels really complete to me. (I only did a short haiku!). I can relate to those adolescent years too. Great job.
ReplyDelete:)
Hope all is well with you my friend.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful words for a half poem I felt was fully written. You write with such emotion and thought. You should always be at peace with yourself because you seem to get down the bones of what you are wanting to say. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteMichelle
I, too, believe this is a completed piece. A story appears to have been told, and as commented by Tumblewords, leaving a little bit for the reader to ponder.
ReplyDeleteIt invoked many thought processes for me .......... it especially made me think about people who genuinely believe they have grown but in reality what they see against what others see is somewhat debatable.
Gautami,
ReplyDeleteIt's so true that the people we were as teens were so vastly different than who we've grown to be (at least I hope so, in my case ;-). I never kept a journal really, but I had a book of poems (if I dare call them that) that I wrote into almost every other day for a while. Reading them recently I thought--"Geez, how melodramatic of me!"
But sometimes I also wonder if it isn't that we felt things so much more deeply then--every cut and bruise, so many "firsts"--and by now many of us have allowed ourselves to scar up to the point we don't "feel" things nearly as distinctly. Do we grow numbed with age? I hope not...
I know you feel the poem is incomplete, but I think it stands on its own quite well.
~Saoirse
I, too, when I look back am amazed I made it thru those years.
ReplyDeleteWonderful words, as usual, Gautami. Very relatable.
Half maybe, but I like it. Reminded me that I have some old journals from my youth that I need to pull out one day. Well done.
ReplyDeletei imagine this poem won't be finished as long as you live
ReplyDeletebut it tells part of the story in a complete way if that makes any sense
It is tough to look back at our younger years and see ourselves, but at least it shows us how much we've grown!
ReplyDeleteIm late...but this is great! i remember those feelings...looking back you were so stupid and young...had a lot of growing up to do...
ReplyDelete