Does Caroline Know? by Richard VinceThat same song: tempo to disguise
What you seek to hide and reveal
In the same contradictory thought.
Your skin looks old when
It catches the evening light, but
She turns back the clock with
Her youthful hands, and gives you
A joy you fear to show.
The years return home with you, and
Frivolous exuberance gives way to
Guilt as you begin to convince yourself
That it is too good a secret to
Allow itself to be kept.
It is just one song from your youth
To which you have found yourself
Returning, not for nostalgia or
To aid the youthing process, but
Because suddenly it has acquired
A meaning you would never see
Being associated with you.
Newly heard words combine with
Underappreciated melodies to paint
New pictures of her as you never
Thought you would see her.
She brings the colour of spring
To your dormant garden, and
You cannot help but wonder
If any other eyes have noticed.
02/09/2007 Posted on 04/02/2007 Copyright © 2025 Richard Vince
Member Comments on this Poem |
Posted by Anne Boulender on 04/02/07 at 10:08 PM very interesting subject matter. nice close too. i can relate to this a lot. it also reminds me to listen to the vu again. thanks. |
Posted by Laura Doom on 04/02/07 at 11:31 PM Self-image is a uniquely pervasive influence on consciousness, as it relies so heavily on the reactions of others - and particularly engaging when seen from the outside :) Intruiging technique, the literary 'split-screen' exposition, when applied with such subtlety. Should be a contender for potd... |
Posted by Kristine Briese on 06/15/11 at 11:56 AM This popped up in random favorites, and thank God it did. That last stanza is especially beautiful. |
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