Beyond Recall

[Seraphim]

I pulled this out the archives where it's been fermenting for some time. I may have work-shopped it before, I didn't find any attached notes, but it would have been many years ago. I don't remember. I always ask people to take razors to a work.


Beyond Recall Revision 1

The river’s mist has risen to confine
my view, and threatens, slowly, to subsume
the deadfalls in my mind. In all directions
it’s progressed beyond the valley floor,
to seek this woodland crest of recollections.
The fog – far denser than it was before
- now clouds those elm, that oak, to soon consume
this copse of pine

where, once, some bygone lover lay supine;
her auburn hair (or was it blonde?) a soak
of perspiration - or maybe it was dew.
I don’t fear haunts of lost loves in the mist
but fear instead the loss of loves I knew,
haunted by the day that I exist
beyond my own recall - no elm, no oak,
no copse of pine.


Beyond Recall

The river's mist has risen to confine
my view, and threatens, slowly, to subsume
the deadfalls in my mind. In all directions
it's progressed beyond the valley floor,
to seek this woodland crest of recollections.
The fog - far denser than it was before
- now clouds that elm, those oak; soon to consume
this copse of pine

in which some bygone lover would recline,
her auburn hair - or was it blonde? - a cloak
which spread like transient vapor on the ground.
I sense no haunt of lost love in the mist,
but sense instead the loss of loves I'd found;
haunted by the day that I exist
beyond my memory - no elm, no oak,
no copse of pine.