Persistence

There is a sorting as the years pass
A choosing happens
Establishing an order
Of  things we keep
And things that must be let go
Objects totemic
That flow with us
Through our time and space
A temporal persistence
Tactile
Visceral.

I have a baseball glove
A leather lefty
Folded and creased
Sweat stained
Scented and storied.
My hand knows how it feels
Before I slip it over my fingers.
I’ve kept it
And it keeps me.

It’s been many years
Since the last game of catch,
Still it’s a living thing,
Now relegated to the back of a closet,
Or
Boxes in attics
Or
Storage units.

In my day-to-day reality
It has been long gone
But not forgotten.
It seems that I will never let it go.
It is a place holder
A memory marker
A man maker
A dream keeper.

Blue Velvet

Out on a walk
The day after Christmas 2018
It shows itself brown and grey
Down here below
Blue skies and white clouds above
Gusts of arctic chill
And a quick flurry of flakes
Spins my memory back to winter and school.

Do you have memories of the Snowflake Swirl?
Twisted crepe paper slung from the basketball backboards.
Sawdust on the hardwood floor
Maybe 1963,
Semi-formal
I wore my Sunday blue suit with the skinny tie
And you swirled in shimmering chiffon
As Bobby Vinton sang “Blue Velvet.”
(and maybe the Beach Boys rocking “Surfin’ U.S.A?”
Or “Hey Paula” by Paul and Paula?)
Were they singing to me?

I wasn’t much of a dancer
But I would seldom pass up the chance for a slow dance
(thank you Bobby V.)
Seldom were the opportunities to hold your favorite girl
In your novice arms.
I think maybe Mr. Hutchison and Miss Mattis were chaperones.
I think they didn’t care to notice
If the dancer’s embrace was too close?
What was it, 6 inches?

Joyous laughter and nervous chatter
Found release in a fast dance
“Wipe Out” by The Surfaris, maybe?
And maybe a couple’s fight
Someone broke up
Someone else fell in love
And then the last dance
Was it "Our Day Will Come" by Ruby and the Romantics?
And then the magic spell was broken
At least for that Winter’s moment…

You were there, weren’t you?

And didn’t we dance?