The things you couldn’t find
Long after
And wondered
If they ever were
A favourite sweater
Made by Irish hands
From the Aran Islands
Cut glass earrings
Sparkling bits like emerald
Set in fake gold
~~
The things you had bought
Just before
And wisely never wore
Long black leather gloves
With leather laces
A cross between a biker chick’s
And a long-ago lady’s
~~
The things you forgot
And bought again
And sometimes yet again
Perfume
Hand lotion
Spools of cotton thread
White, grey, brown
White, grey, black
Colours of suffering
A wardrobe for pain
~~
The things you came across
Long after
And greeted like old friends
Scarves with geometric patterns
Stylish back then
Bikinis, tops and shorts
For vacations planned
Not taken
And perfume
Not worn
~~
The things I now sort
These will stay
These ones will go
Prodigal bits of memory
Of times and things
In boxes and drawers
Detritus of
An interrupted life.
The above is a pourem I wrote one night a year ago. A pourem is an un-poem, an unedited stream of thought.
Cynthia Reyes 
I can really relate to your pourem. We have been cleaning out our house of 20 years.
That will be a lot of cleaning out to do, yes?
I really enjoyed this pourem.
It made me think of the things I have in my closet. Things unworn or work long ago. I note too the ‘wardrobe for pain‘
I’m very glad you enjoyed it, Annette! I must say, I too enjoy these pieces that just pour out of my mind and heart. I don’t how how this happens, and I have to force myself to keep writing and not edit. I coined the term pourem to say it may look like a poem, but it’s really a pouring.
A beautiful pourem from the heart, Cynthia. I can totally relate to it. 🙂
Thank you, Lavinia. Hope all goes well in your household – and with your music and other work. I reread you spring post the other day. Such magical writing.
It reads like a very lovely poem to me. You laid it out well.
So kind of you to say. I can’t call it a poem as I didn’t set out to write one, and don’t really know how. This was a pouring out, a stream of thoughts, and I decided to leave it be.
I absolutely identify with your very sweet pourem, Cynthia. A book of postal stamps gone but I’m still hopeful that they’re magically reappear, a long lost beloved blouse found in a dark corner of the closet is of no use anymore.
Yes! thanks for your comment. It’s great to hear from you.
We sold our house and we are moving to a house about half the size. We have been going through everything with the aim to make a decision -does it stay or does it go? Along with this process memories come flooding back or sometimes we wonder where the item came from. So for me your pourem is very timely!
Life has thrown you many curves and interruptions. Maybe you’ll find some forgotten treasures or gold! Happy sorting.
That would be lovely, Brad!
A major life change! I can also imagine there are memories and emotions accompanying these tasks. Hope you’re both doing well.
Your “unedited stream of thought.” makes us thinking and makes alive things and events of the past time . Nostalgy!
Thanks Cybthia .
Love ❤
Michel
Thanks very much, Michel. Merci beaucoup.
Your pourem struck a very responsive chord with me. And I wouldn’t have thought it was unedited if you hadn’t said so.
That’s a nice compliment, Liz. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Cynthia.
Lovely and melancholy! I really liked “prodigal bits of memory.”
Me too, I say immodestly! Honestly, I don’t know where words come from at times. Do you ever write a phrase and think :”Wow. did I just write that?”
Yes, sometimes. But mostly I just wrestle with words and am grateful when some kind of order gradually emerges. 😉
I hear you, sister.
This is beautiful, Cynthia!
Thank you, Becky!
Beautifully nostalgic
Thanks, Derrick.
Oh boy, add in the many things big and small picked up on our travels and you will know how appropriate this is for me. Sigh! Do I really have to start the sorting now? Maybe tomorrow.
You made me grin!
A very evocative piece of writing, Cynthia.
I love this pourem, Cynthia!
Beautiful, bitter-sweet ‘unedited stream of thoughts’. Sending you ❤
It’s beautiful, moving, a lovely outpouring.
I love this–and can relate to all of them! All of these categories that make up bits of our lives.
As I read this, I was thinking of all of my various belongings and wondering … keep? Give away? 🙂
That’s brilliant. Loved it.
This is a beautiful un-poem, Cynthia. Though I’d argue that it’s a poem indeed. It’s so evocative and touching. I’ve been cleaning out lately, part of getting older, and everything is so full of memories. You captured that sense of poignancy beautifully.
This is very interesting, Cynthia. Full of truth about life.
Lovely, unfiltered thoughts. We happen to be visiting the Mrs.’ mother this weekend. Where I sit, I am only two feet from a bookshelf with a copy of “An Honest House”. Must be a good bookshelf to browse (like I don’t have a stack of books I’m part way through at the moment!) -Oscar
I can relate. We accumulate a lot of things over the years, and going through them … gets you to thinking.And remembering. And sorting. And then maybe some tossing and re-homing, too.