Looking back 

Poem: Looking back 

 

I enjoy everything…retrospectively

In the middle of the night I’d sit…

 

bolt upright and holler

 

“Yesterday’s breakfast was proper yum as

I’m not even sad and I’m nowhere near glum!”  Zzz

 

Review: Looking back

 

What a striking little poem!

It’s compact, cute and funny.

What an interesting title after then going on to read the poem and then reading the title again. That’s a bit of a retrospective moment isn’t it?

But as the poet says, enjoying everything retrospectively?

Absolutely ‘every’ ‘thing’?

Crumbs! That’s a lot of stuff.

What’s going on here Poet?

You may not be sad nor glum but something is not right.

I won’t call it denial. If you’re happy, you’re happy. Good for you, but I go on to question;

Is the poet not enjoying moments when they are actually taking place?

Is the poet not living in the moment, when whatever it was that happened, happened?

 

Therefore, in the poet’s life, when something good happens, is it over quickly and then the next thing is busily hurrying itself along? Is that not the case for most, if not all folk?

The poet’s active mind and overall system is finding a way to make known to the self, the positive occurrence that took place by ‘siting bolt upright in the middle of the night’ In this case, of how delicious the previous day’s breakfast was, making sure that the moment is acknowledged and has not been resigned to the vaults of an overloaded inaccessible creaking memory bank.

 

Is life presenting itself to the poet as something that is on a quick, moment after moment, conveyor belt with no time for emotions, the good ones, being allowed to be close enough to skim the surface, let alone penetrate?

I believe the poet is commenting on how ‘modern life’ is experienced or how most feel it just is. Most just accept it and not think to question nor contest it. Too much of a faff to be against anything that is seen as the norm by most isn’t it?

I won’t even begin to list what those so-called modern-day norms are

I think best to stop before I get started! (More stories for other times)

Is it more of a secure way of living life by being sure of enough time having past, to then look back and say, yes that was good wasn’t it ? Enjoyment was had!

Is that how ‘enjoyment’ will evolve ? I hope not! That’s so sad if that is indeed the case.

I find the poem humorous with the strong visual presented with the body posture and the shouting aloud of a satisfying statement to then be returning to sleep mode, represented with triple z’s at the end.

I have enjoyed reading the poem, yes but according to the poet, I will enjoy it in the future, when I’m reflecting…hmm. Well, I don’t have the time to decide tomorrow whether I had enjoyed something today. I’ll be too busy doing a new thing!

A great little observation. The message I’m getting here is that it’s fine to look back, yes but not be stuck in the past. Also be choosy with ingredients for the ‘here and now’ and not to be overloaded with unnecessaries.

Don’t look back with clutter!