A Cold Reminder
The day you took your last breath
and left us all behind,
you stole a piece of us
we will never get back.
When we heard the news,
we stared in silent disbelief.
As the news sank in,
your family searched
for someone else to blame.
Whispering words like,
“If you had only listened,”
or,
“If you had loved them more,
they would still be with us.”
Now you lay alone
with a stone that bears your name.
A place that we can visit,
but it will never be the same.
We cannot hear your laughter
or hear your voice again.
The slab, a cold reminder
that you could not beat the pain.
My phone dinged a reminder,
The subject of this poem,
A simple message and it said:
“9:30 Flying home.”
See, I had planned to be away
Upon a river cruise.
My husband, though, had gotten sick
And so, for weeks, my views
Were of the buildings I can see
Within my neighborhood
Instead of little charming towns
As I had hoped I would.
We canceled all that we had booked –
The flights, the room, the tours
And waited ‘til at last, my husband
Ventured out of doors.
He’s better now, but never could have
Done the things we’d planned.
I’ve put it all behind me, but
My phone can’t understand.
Born with nothing
Always Dreaming
Walked without knowing
Learn to learn
Holding what I could
Stand where I stood
Break without Breaking
A short felt burn
Empty feeling
Refusing to see quiting
Always engulfed
By choices that wasn't
I scraped for needs
I broke deep within
Life new beginning
I slowly woke up
oh, grief...
it's indeed true what is said
about you.
you're an arc
that keeps looping your way back
to yet another circle.
all it takes
for your long-smothered flame
to once again ignite...
just one reminder,
a painful one at that;
old funeral service bulletin.
Twilight leans low
over the lake,
God’s quiet hand smoothing
the day’s last breath.
Water gathers the sky
like a secret it promises
not to spill~
rose fading into lavender,
lavender into blue-gray hush.
A single ripple
wanders toward shore,
carrying this soft reminder~
even endings can glow.
named most likely to succeed in school
every birthday was a reminder
he had let himself down
newly divorced, no home, no job, no family
my life laid lifeless in your hands,
you decided to be the one to bring me back.
to be the only one i held faith in.
to be the only one to deserve me.
i never asked to get attached to these scars.
it got uglier with every line you drew.
with every cut you made, i healed perfectly.
why would you give me
these beautifully flawed tattoos?
you never answer me.
this mirror is no longer my reflection,
i’m missing.
this body is no more than a reminder.
the eyes i looked at you with.
the tongue that dirtied your name.
the face that you longed to see.
what use am i now?
i can’t handle this alone,
this soul meant to hold two.
the red poppy is almost an orange-red
two of my favorite colors, reminding me of bravery
the red -blooded soldiers who are willing to sacrifice everything
a field of these blooms parade about in my mind’s eye
reminding me to be more patriotic not just on special days
You aren’t
a burden,
you are
a blessing.
A wag of the tail
those big brown eyes staring at me
~ a reminder it's feeding time
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: 1st place 2025
Cherish who you are
‘cause on one can replicate
your true uniqueness.
Whoever abandoned you in the middle of the ocean has no right to know what the sharks did to you or how you managed to reach the shore
However difficult the time , they had the chance to stay beside and help you afloat till your sail was up and high
But they chose to swim away at the first chance they got to a merry ship of any land
While you floated and built your boat on your own with drifting planks of lone
Did they care when the storm came
or sun burned through the sky
or ever wondered if you did found land
Would it bother them if sharks would have made you meat
or you had drowned with exhaustion in search of sand
What happened in the ocean now stands amidst time untold
The story of yours that made you strong and bold
Give gratitude to the universe that drifted you away
from those who left you in alone and cold !
There are many things that remind me of you.
Every time the sun sets,
And the sky paints itself in thousands of colors,
I see you.
The songs you once played,
They still linger in my playlist.
They set my mood and carry me back in time,
As if I am living it all over again.
Sometimes, strangers walk by
Wearing your fragrance.
For a moment, I freeze,
Thinking you might be somewhere near.
That café corner,
And the ever-changing taste of its hazelnut frappe,
Every sip reminds me
Of your quirky expressions.
And the streets
Where you used to walk me home,
Still make me feel
That you might return and hold my hand.
These reminders
Gently tell me
I once lived something
That is truly beautiful.
Travel is not a right
But a privilege, thus spoke Zarathustra
In his most late incarnation
Travelling is tied with applying
But it’s more than ridiculous to ask for privileges.
Especially since the answer is known.
Zarathustra's commodity is hate
I'm not tempted to support his drama
Let those who agree to pay
Have the privilege.
Though, according to Zarathustra's logic
The right to privilege is not legalised
Kneel down, travellers
Someday you'll be pitied
You’ll get the right to buy
The burning date for the bus tour
To the most privilaged holy places
There you may take some selfies
Get the table to eat outside
The same instant meal
That you can have in your hometown
At half a price
Afterwards you’ll get the AI reminders
Sort of “remember that day?”
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.