“Blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good & Evil, Chapter VI
Memory can be a clever sadist
Mummifying our errors and regrets
Pointing out all the targets we have missed
It scolds us and itself when it forgets
Fossils are not animate creatures, though
Echoes are not fresh sounds, loud as they seem
Do not with antique thread novel wounds sew
Awaken from old nightmares, now to dream
Permit not recollection to destroy
The verdant field of possibility
Do not mistake the bird for the decoy
Nor error for lack of ability
Consign the shambling mummy to the tomb
Let joy spring from the present’s fertile womb
About the Creator
D. J. Reddall
I write because my time is limited and my imagination is not.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insight
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
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Comments (4)
Oooo, this was extremely profound! I loved it!
This whole thing was awesome but, "Do not with antique thread novel wounds sew" is especially remarkable. What a line!
Well done! The “echoes “ line was my favorite
Great ekphrastic piece, D.J.! It paired with the art very well! “Do not mistake the bird for the decoy Nor error for lack of ability” were superb lines!