A thief comes in the night
scooping memory from reluctant skulls.
Next day, a little more gone.
He tucks the memories under his coat,
casts them to the four winds like ashes.
Another grey head laments, where is my mind?
Next he steals orientation;
more lamentation.
The thief is always busy throwing things away.
"No use to me, he says,
I cast fates to the wind,"
having no memory himself.
Well-thought and well-put!
Points well made Rachel. I just wanted to tease the imagination rather than try to expand too much on any aspect of this distressing condition. Much has been written on the subject. I meant orientation as a state of mind based on recognition of time and place, often disturbed. Thanks for your reasoned response.
You must have that in a diary somewhere, Brian. Ha Ha!
I agree with you there Col. No compassion in news unless it is used to raise guilt it seems to me. I was an extra on EastEnders once, and Barbara had a habit of speaking off the cuff on film to non talking artists so that they could get a talking part fee which was far higher.(Not in my case!) She is salt of the earth.
Well done for sussing that interpretation. I think maybe first person would have changed the feel a lot; often that works I agree.
Thanks a lot.
Thank you all for liking: Anonybus, Desmond, Anya, Damon.
Ray
<Deleted User> (13762)
Fri 11th May 2018 08:29
watching the news yesterday I was saddened that a clip of Barbara Windsor viciously slapping an Eastenders character in the face and shouting 'get out my pub' should have been chosen to highlight her acting career in a report about her dementia. Talk about normalising violence and stereotyping! My heart sank.
I like this poem lots as it is a subject that is relevant to everyone, or will be one day. Perhaps it could me made more powerful by making it first person? I like also the fact that the memory thief has no memory of his own reckless actions but goes merrily on casting other's to the wind seemingly at random. Science would argue that it's not that random but it often seems that way.
Good and thoughtful stuff Raymondo. Col.
<Deleted User> (18980)
Fri 11th May 2018 07:35
I did an Improve Your Memory course once...when was it now, and where?
elPintor
Fri 11th May 2018 00:04
It seems this must be about senility, with it's mention of "another grey head". Though, one can't help but be reminded of the fragility of memory, itself. Of how it can be erased, manipulated, or even created from nothing. And, then, you venture on to speak of "orientation" as a sort of affect of memory, or lack of memory...
..contemplating many psychological and philosophical questions due to the reading, Ray. It's a succinct piece of writing that begs examination of its subtleties to make it complete.
Rachel
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raypool
Sat 12th May 2018 17:44
Many thanks Cynthia for coming back to this one.
Ray