The Last Vestige
THE LAST VESTIGE
Your worldview,
As complex and fragile as it was -
A unique thing
In all the universe -
Collapses,
A pricked water balloon.
Little remains
But shreds of you,
Left behind in the memories
Of others.
You are defined
By the shadow cast
Of your stories
And their sorrow.
And then those stories -
Fade.
The last to go
Are those memories
Held close to the heart
By those who loved you
Best.
And then they are gone,
And it is only
The grand-children
Who recall
A fraction
Of the fullness
Of your life.
On a day
And in a moment
That nobody knows,
The last vestige
Of you winks out
With the death
Of the last person
Who knew your name.
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This is a "reverse-fractal" poem, one that diminishes in each stanza, until it winks out.
Shared recently with those fractal fiends over at DVerse Poets.
©2014, 2022 Christopher Reilley
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I was curious to know what you meant by reverse fractal. I like how you stepped through the recursion to get to "The last vestige / of you winks out." It made me think of a tornado and that tiny bit at the bottom (an illusion, I know) that spirals upward into the big funnel. It also reminds me of movies where explosions are run in reverse where it all goes back into container. It was very enjoyable to read it. I'm ambivalent about the outcome in the poem. It makes me feel melancholy on some level but relieved at another. Thank you for sharing the poem, Christopher.
ReplyDeleteI wrote this as a product of a workshop exercise in which fractals were discussed, and the nature of a probe that reveals more and more detail the further you look, and of course, everyone in the workshop wrote a poem along those lines. Being a contrarian, I decided to go in the opposite direction. :-)
DeleteHow terribly sad but so beautifully expressed. I admire the progression of thoughts, from seeing a world view that is so wide, to being just remembered for a fraction of one's life, until nobody remembers you in the future. This reminds me of passing on graves and seeing those dates decades ago, and wondering if anyone remembers them now.
ReplyDeleteFlowlicious.
ReplyDeleteThought provoking write! Enjoyed learning about this form!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful read. The fading out is magnificent.
ReplyDeleteMuch💚love
Outstanding piece!
ReplyDeleteVery deep and moving! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe entire form of fractal poetry is new to me. Your taking it in reverse was splendid.
ReplyDeleteThis is a brilliant poem. I love how you've taken the idea of fractals and applied it to mortality. In the end there's really only a fading whisper left.
ReplyDeleteSearing, Beautiful. I kept copying each line to say "this is the best" and then I read the next line. Lke a fractal, you think you can separate out the recurring pattern from the whole, but in fact, you cannot.
ReplyDelete