When poppies fade, our memories
Are washed in sepia, photo sleeves
With tattered corners tucked away
In dusty albums’ slow decay.
.
When poppies fade, recollections
Fall, dead leaves in mass defections,
Crumble-dry beneath bare branches,
Blowing lost in frozen trenches.
.
When poppies fade, awareness slips
From senseless, heartless fingertips,
Petals blanched, without their power,
Bloodless loss, amnesia’s flower.
Meanwhile, Melody Muses... 
You might enjoy this poem about families and absence, “While He’s Away: A Poem About Being Gone.” http://wp.me/p3BzWN-lB
Short and sweet! I love it!
Thanks! 🙂
Reblogged this on I solemnly swear i am upto no good! and commented:
A must read…so beautifully captured.
“When poppies fade, awareness slips
From senseless, heartless fingertips”…
I just love the way this phrase flows. Dementia is a terrible disease. They all are, but this one seems to me to be the worst of all. The others take your flesh. Dementia takes the inner treasures of the soul. A sad thing for loved ones to experience. Been there. Know.
Good connections to this piece, Eric. It is very hard to watch our loved ones suffer….
Sepia is the right colour.
Thanks Lyle!
I read this differently ~ to me, it was referring to Flanders Field; bravery; how easily we forget the hundreds of thousands that gave their freedom for ours… Hopefully not all of us forget! Blessings friend ~ Debbie
That’s a big part of the message I was trying to get across – that when we forget the poppies, the ideals and courage will fall with them. Our veterans are aging, and there are less and less of them around to share their stories with us….
Absolutely brilliant!
I’ll take it! 😉 Thanks Elizabeth.
May we never forget!!
Amen to that!