Pops
The Bacon Cat Legging Society
My fingers lovingly caress the surface
of all these small
things
the cool metal of a pocket knife
the sharp point of a fishing hook.
The room still smells
the same
... old wood
... paint thinner
... the cool dampness of the underground.
Everything is
still
perfectly in its place.
Everything
except you.
Can you sum up a life by the things left behind?
He loved to fish
plus
he bought a tool maybe every time he needed one
plus
he loved to build things and fix things,
but not himself
plus
he framed a drawing from his great grand daughter
plus
he kept the finger puzzles and euro note from his grand daughter.
plus
he liked fedoras and leather jackets.
plus
his chair that he could face out the window with a swivel
equals
a man I never fully knew.
He was quiet
steady
slipping a 5 dollar bill in my pocket
when my parents weren't looking.
Other times he was loud
saying
"you get what you want now"
when we were out for dinner.
He valued presence
... if you were quiet.
He was a magician -
Heating metal and pulling rubber and deer tails -
wrapping and twisting in muscle-memoried motions
until
a masterpiece of a lure was suddenly in his hands.
He grew things -
fruit trees
tomatoes
concord grapes.
He liked to laugh and joke
and the world was
warmer
whne he would smile.
In my home he is the small pink bunny
the one he gave me
as a baby.
He is the rod and reel that waits by the door
for the first warm spring day.
He's the fishing hat my 11 year old has worn all year
the piggy banks that now hold their own slide in hand dollars
He's the sweater I wear when the world is cold
and I am missing
home.
He is the screw driver and the pipe wrench
so I can fix things when they
break
He's the copper in my hair,
the stubborn in my veins,
and a memory
in that euro note now hanging
on my wall.
About the Creator
Ellie Hoovs
Breathing life into the lost and broken. Writes to mend what fire couldn't destroy. Poetry stitched from ashes, longing, and stubborn hope.
My Poetry Collection DEMORTALIZING is out now!!!: https://a.co/d/5fqwmEb
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
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By Ellie HoovsExclusive • 5 months ago
Comments (2)
This was so poignant and emotional. Sending you lots of love and hugs ❤️ Also, there's a small typo in this line, "He liekd to laugh and joke". I hope you don't mind me pointing that out 😅
This captures that sense of loss so well, the things and memories they leave behind ... beautiful and tragically sad all together 🩷 Whether this loss is old or new, my condolences ... it never really gets any easier.