I am currently enjoying my last semester of college, and loving every helter-skelter minute of it. While listening to some poetry by Emily Dickinson in one of my morning classes, I was struck by the idea for this poem about memory. 

Writers are, I think, in many ways slaves to their memories. I have had a "memory hoarding" issue since I was quite young, and found solace in writing things down. When your memory is very good like mine, it's easy to go back in time and even want to stay there longer than you should. 

However, a good memory when used properly is a wonderful tool that lets you stand outside of time and space to help others see what they have forgotten about the world, or even themselves. This poem is both a sadness and a celebration of the gift of memory. 

Time does not go on for me

Forever I am crossed at sea. 

Forever tossed 

On still-same wave--

Forever here to start again. 

I look into that face of yours, 

And all I see are open doors, 

Open doors within your eyes

Forever walking into mine. 

Time makes strangers

Of loves and dangers. 

But not of me, 

It cannot be. 

Forever in my wintered mind, 

These thoughts preserved for all of time. 

I look around myself and say

"I can recall like yesterday..." 

Yet no one else remains here thus--

My memory stays, theirs fades to dust. 

So all their ships go sailing by, 

But on my boat, there is no time. 

Photo credit via - https://cverwaal.wordpress.com/2017/03/18/on-frozen-pond/

"Oh, I don't have time to read anymore." 

I can't tell you how many times I've heard that phrase slip out of not only other's mouths, but my own! That's right, even as a writer, I still find it difficult to read.

But we do read! We read every day - Texts, emails, ads, nutrition labels, signs, social media, and a plethora of other platforms. But how much of what we are reading is feeding our soul? Perhaps it isn't that we don't have time to read, but rather that we no longer enjoy it.

For many of us, reading has become a chore. Some find it difficult due to reading disabilities. Others struggle to focus their attention on static text Just the act of scanning our eyes across the page can seem strenuous after being accustom to passive viewing via screens. However, I believe that reading can reset our minds, and strengthen atrophied imaginations.

In our hurry-scurry world, the act of reading is a rebellious meditation. By reading, we can calm our bodies, minds and spirits by allowing ourselves to focus on one task. Training ourselves to focus and slow down can help us in all other areas of life.

Of course, if you are going to bother to take the time to read, you should take time to select the best of books for yourself! I have been blessed to consume a good quantity of old, forgotten literature. Tragedies taught me lessons, poems filled my soul with feeling, and dramas gave me a sense of justice and hope. These are the things I want to pass along to future generations through well-crafted sentences and stories.

Reading good books should elevate the mind above the din of our everyday lives to give us a better perspective on the world. I hope you find books throughout your life that fill your heart with compassion, your head with knowledge, and your hands with skill.

Keep reading!
A.A. Fouch