Long After One More Lost Holiday

Coming back from some long lost weekend or another,

You asked me did I remember such and such or so and so

It was from a time in a place that I had previously long awaited

But it took me a while to dredge up a couple jumbled recollections

Then I tried to remember the distinct holidays from different years

But there was no ordered collection with little notes and titles on their spines

There was this hazy blur from which things sometimes arose,

Like fish rising from the depths of murky moving water

All those highly-anticipated, well-orchestrated life events gone by

Full of joy and recreation, people and relaxation,

Now tumbled about on my rough journey in a worn out box of memories

Events and details mixed up forever, far beyond any disentanglement

After the holiday, came the realization of the once again onrushing ordinary

I never had time to unpack and to file our time together

It quickly disappeared in our daily wake, right along with your suntan

Sometimes I found its artifacts as I cleaned out the garage

For some reason or whatever we ask each other

Where were we on that Labor Day, three years ago

I could not remember what we had done

You did not recall where we had stayed

The kids do not remember all those special places that we took them

Your mother died 5 years ago asking for you to go and bring you to her

I find another page of recollections that I give up trying to put in order

We both draw blanks and we just look back through each other’s eyes

After the holiday, as I awaken, before the first visit of my morning nurse