Writer's Showcase
'Postcard from the Past' by D G Moody
Our love died on the day I remembered
But then it became the day you forgot,
And it’s not now the dying I regret
But the fact of regretting
That you’ve forgot.
© D G Moody 2022
I’m now retired having previously worked in local government . With my wife (and Springer Spaniel) we live in a village between Cambridge and St Ives. Apart from writing I enjoy cooking, reading, walking, and DIY. My writing is influenced by my travels and life abroad, and my involvement in different religions – Christian and Buddhist, plus an interest in history and current affairs. My poetry and prose reflects my interests and life experience and is still in the process of developing into what I hope may be of interest to the reader.
You can read more of dougimoody’s work at https://www.poetbay.com/poetHome.php?writerId=9406.
I can see where your regret comes from, Dougie, because by someone forgetting a shared experience that you thought important, they are saying that it was not important to them, and that is truly to be regretted.
When this was published on PoetBay, ‘one trick pony’ said of it: “I read this as a poem of pangs, of the tangible becoming the intangible—the ache of slipping away. I feel a tightness in my chest as i read this.” AND, ‘Hans Bump’ commented: “There’s a certain rhythm about this poem that feels like a poignant heartbeat. So genuine. Well conveyed.”
Whoo-hoo dougie, great, awesome, what lines are they! I loved it. You are a great poet, described the pain in just 4-5 lines and soo beautifully. Oh my gosh. I hate love, but I also love to love someone, I hate it cause after it gets over or there is some bad phase it hurts you a lot, but it also gives you a lot of nice moments and memories. Great one dougie. Appreciate it.
Thanks for the comments Allen and Mike. I should stress that it isn’t autobiographical – not that I’ve not had my share of disappointments! And yes, I sometimes feel that a poem can say a lot in a few lines – though it also means placing each word correctly – and I can see already where a change might benefit.
Most times, we tend to love someone while expecting the same thing in return. Only to find out that you never really mattered to them after all, and you are a story long forgotten. That kind of feeling truly hurts.
A beautiful piece.
Short, but expresses the feeling of love and pain.
Thank you Benita for commenting. In many relationships there is the one who loves and the one who needs to be loved; the former seems to me to be the difficult part.
Nice but sad piece. But have we not all gone through this process again? Yes love is life and sweet. But, sometimes we regret falling in love with people that don’t hold us the way we do. We tend to remember them and everything we shared together. While they forget. Sighs!
Thanks for reading and commenting Helen. I think that there is a type of regret that arises from a younger self that wasn’t mature enough at the time – I know that is my case. But then life moves on and we learn from our experience. I have something such as this in mind for a forthcoming anniversary.
You welcome Dougiemoody! Yeah, there is a regret that comes from not doing certain things or taking certain decisions when we were less mature. But, we shouldn’t dwell in the past and forget that the present holds so much for us. We might never regain lost chances, but we can make sure we make the right decisions now. After all, we are a little bit mature now?
Well put Helen; and while we all may regret, we also need to move on
To love and never to be loved back can trigger so many sad memories. I expected to be loved and to be remembered only to find oit thet the one i love has already moved on and already forgotten about me. Thanks God those years are far behind and i have healed. This poem has taken me to the exact moment when i had such a feeling. All is well now and i am happy with the one i love.
Thank you Kiula for your insightful comments. I can only reflect from my own experience, that I know that while we don’t forget we don’t have to live in the regret.
Some people forget everything very easily…But someone truly loved, he or she cannot forget it. If someone is not so, she or he may not have loved you. “it’s not now the dying I regret, But the fact of regretting, That you’ve forgot.” Yes, I know, there is nothing more disheartening to people who are in a relationship than hearing or knowing such a reality. But we should not suffer from that kind of love or memory.