I remember you … I forget you … – Jessica Teo
A poem by Jessica Teo about the push and pull between remembering and forgetting time. Read on to reflect on life's fleeting and lasting moments.
I remember you … I forget you …
By Jessica Teo
I did not know you but you knew you
How unfair! Right from the beginning
I remembered you as I was watching the sun bursting and
waning with eternal glory
Closer than a friend, you led me round the clock, not missing one single step
I forgot you as I darted from house to the car; from storefronts to deadlines
Silent, you lingered like a shadow at my heels, knowing I would trip over you
I remembered you in my mistake, desperately searching for a way out in a mirror
Gently, you met me on a winding road, affording me your patience
I forgot you in a warm embrace, a hand held tight, a laughter long-lasting
Like wind, you slipped through my fingers, restless, untamed, unreachable
I remembered you when breaths turned short, miserably short
Desperately, I chased after your fading steps, yearning to pour my regrets into you
I forgot you as strength returned, soothing strength, energising strength
With the temper of a drummer, I charged myself to recontour the shape of my life
I remembered you in a room charged with calls, screens, stress, and meeting notes
Still drowned with cares, I knew better, that I’d lose you in a millisecond
I forgot you. I forgot you.
In all the fleeting moments, the longest lasting moments, I forgot you.
I knew you, why did you turn away?!
Wait … wait … right to the end …
