Watching a televised version of the film “Memorial Day” tonight, I was struck by the stories that one can tell and how those retellings affect those who hear them. Not ‘about’ the movie but ‘inspired by’ is the following new poem:
Story Song
This is my story, my song
It cannot be yours but you can listen
I will tell it in my own way, slowly, reverently.
My grandchildren will drag it out of me
Curious but not realizing what they’ll get are
Not tall tales if they’re true, told honestly,
Recounting a lifetime.
This is my song, my story
A beautiful melody to me and my own
Might sound to you a cacophany, a jumble of sound.
Discord comes before sweet and satisfying resolution
Conflicted lines meeting in harmony once more.
Words make sense if you know them
As the refrain to a lifetime.
Kevin Oliver Poetry 