Remnants

Remnants
by Lyn Marinello

Handwritten letters in aged envelopes
Tattered lift passes from wintery slopes
Polaroid photos, a dried prom corsage
A mix tape of music, conjures such a mirage
Fragile collectibles inscribed with delicate words
Menus from restaurants, paper origami birds
Dainty flower petals crushed flat forever more
Trophies and medallions holding victories of lore
Matchbooks from weddings, a garter caught upon display
A yearbook full of signatures and well wishes sent your way
Hospital bands from childbirth. Announcements from the same
A pair of tickets that you kept from his very first football game
The first soft lock of hair and the initial lost tiny tooth
The patching of a broken heart when crushed by less than truth
Learning how to bait a hook, taking off the training wheels
Gentle nuances of make-up; how to walk in those high heels
Starting with the doggie-paddle, graduate to learning dives
A first job, paychecks, shopping, taking charge of their own lives
Guiding when to take charge and when to let things go
When to teach a lesson and when to let it make you grow
Gatherings at Thanksgiving. Christmas rituals take root
The proper grip on golf clubs, how to load a gun and shoot
The sad realization that life's not absolute
A folded flag at graveside after a 21-gun salute
Anniversary pictures of family now passed
These pieces of life allow your memories to last
We bid farewell to those who've shaped us in so many ways
We mourn the loss, yet hang on tight, to shared years and months and days
A glossary of memories we keep tucked away internal
Fragments we hold onto offer comfort deep, eternal
The good, the bad, all intertwined; a dance that is collaborative
The heart of who we truly are. Remnants of a life well lived.