Sometimes it’s hard to believe you’re gone, the way
you half-smiled the same as me — the last time
we talked on the phone I remember, your
stories about the time you were in London
too. Maybe every moment is like that,
or some at least: we call it coincidence
but there is no such thing, only
awareness. We lose someone we love,
and feel them still, a phantom limb,
the inside of a shape that
has no form.
Our dogs live faster than we do,
and that’s why mine gets to walk
every day, gets to smell
whatever she wants to as long
as she wants,
she has no reason to believe
there’s some tomorrow.
Bill Pearse 
Beautiful, evocative words Bill.
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Thank you Dean! Cheers to you and yours. Bill
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I like the phantom limb image a lot. There’s a convincing presence in us after they’re gone …
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Thanks Kevin, I’ve used it before. I’m about recirculating things.
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Like the line about no coincidences, only awareness. I never thought of a dog’s view that way before and it makes sense. Great imagery and sentiments in both poems, what a treat.
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I stole that line from my hair stylist who’s into fourth dimensional portal jumping and all kinds of best stuff. Happy it came together for you Kristen, thanks! Yes, I like the dog view of the world, childlike and simple in its innocence.
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I recall you mentioning the stylist and thinking how interesting that sounds. Whenever I start remembering or thinking about something seemingly out of the blue, it’s fun to look for a cause or cycle. We’re not too far off from dogs (thank god).
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Should also say the awareness line was inspired by the fact I wrote about my deceased granddad last week and then realized later it was his birthday, that I’d thought about him hiking, and that’s not coincidence as much as the fact I was aware of that on some very deep, buried level. I thought that was cool.
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true dat, the bit about the phantom limb. and about the dogs. sometimes I have trouble connecting your thoughts in my head between the stanzas, or the paragraphs, sometimes could use some more handholding there. could be just me though, i can be dense.
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No that’s fair, I don’t think you’re dense either. I push the envelope so I’m looking for feedback when it’s become unclear, because that’s no fun for anyone, only frustrating, and then people balk. So thanks for that and give me more whenever inclined. I doubt you’re alone in that.
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