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Spectral Echoes

A Locket’s Lament

By Taylor WardPublished about a year ago 1 min read
The untouched loss of joy

In the quiet chambers of a heart,

a hollow echo resonates—

the longing for a father,

a presence felt but never known.

Stories woven of shared traits

paint a portrait of a man

she could only touch through shadows

and the whispers of inherited traits.

Her childhood was a book with missing pages,

an unfinished tale of what might have been,

where dreams of connection danced like specters,

flickering at the edges of her solitude.

His voice was a distant melody,

lost in the mists of addiction,

a siren song that faded into the void.

Now, she carries the remnants of him,

a vial of ashes encased in a locket,

suspended over her heart like a forgotten relic.

It is a necklace of bittersweet memories,

a tangible fragment of a ghost she never truly met.

Each breath draws in the weight of unspoken words,

each heartbeat syncs with the pulse of loss.

The locket rests against her chest,

a miniature graveyard of hopes and shattered dreams,

its cold surface a touchstone for the love

she was never able to fully grasp.

In moments of solitude, she clasps it close,

feeling the ghost of his presence

seep through the delicate metal.

Her life is a mosaic of his absence,

each piece a reflection of the traits she was told she inherited,

a jigsaw of fragmented identity.

She walks through the world carrying his memory,

a silent testimony to the connection she yearned for,

the bond she hoped would materialize

in the interplay of fate and familial echoes.

And so, she holds him close,

his ashes mingling with her own breath,

a spectral dance of past and present,

a reminder that even in the void,

love can find a way to linger,

and the heart can keep the essence of those lost,

like a flame that never fully fades,

but burns quietly in the recesses of a soul.

heartbreak

About the Creator

Taylor Ward

From a small town, I find joy and grace in my trauma and difficulties. My life, shaped by loss and adversity, fuels my creativity. Each piece written over period in my life, one unlike the last. These words sometimes my only emotion.

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  2. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  3. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  1. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

  2. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

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Comments (7)

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  • mureed hussain12 months ago

    The final image of the "flame that never fully fades" is both poignant and hopeful, suggesting that even in loss, love and memory can endure. This is a truly powerful and resonant piece.✨👍

  • Rowan Finley about a year ago

    This is painfully beautiful and heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing your heart and soul through this powerful poem. ❤️

  • R0ME0about a year ago

    Thank you for sharing. 🙏

  • Esala Gunathilakeabout a year ago

    Enjoyed it. Creatively done it.

  • Cindy Calderabout a year ago

    What a wistful poem - it left me quite teary eyed.

  • Natasha Collazoabout a year ago

    Um just wow

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