Home

Lovers, Old and Gone

by Ken Harnisch

That it should truly be
That lovers old and gone can be discarded
Like so much dust in the pan
Swept aside, and thrown away
As if they never were

But
Every flinch at some remembered slight
Every note hummed from a forgotten song
Every passerby who jars the eyes
For height or hair
Or smile
Brings us back
Every time
Realizing it or not
Regrettably or not
And in the person we show the world
Even ages hence
Old lovers lurk
Somewhere inside
Gnawing, like some insistent mouse,
At the wire to our hearts.

12/15/2000

Author's Note: Sometimes I crack the vault open and...

Posted on 05/17/2011
Copyright © 2024 Ken Harnisch

Member Comments on this Poem
Posted by Alison McKenzie on 05/17/11 at 02:07 PM

Maybe it's like dark chocolate - bittersweet but something about the bitter darkness makes it good for heart health?

Posted by Kristine Briese on 05/17/11 at 09:09 PM

The vault must be a wonderful place to browse. Once again, you've moved my soul.

Posted by Gabriel Ricard on 05/17/11 at 09:18 PM

It's amazing the rush of memories one can get just from opening that door a little. Fantastic stuff.

Posted by Charlie Morgan on 05/18/11 at 07:15 PM

...ken, you readin' my mail? i smile, nod.

Return to the Previous Page
 

pathetic.org Version 7.3.2 May 2004 Terms and Conditions of Use 0 member(s) and 2 visitor(s) online
All works Copyright © 2024 their respective authors. Page Generated In 0 Second(s)