Written piece
"Crumbling Memory Tower."
Tehreem Arslan Aurakzai
Pakistan
About this piece
"Crumbling Memory Tower", is a poem that I wrote in 2024 after surviving COVID-19 and multiple unprocessed deaths of loved ones. This poem is an attempt to never forget the beautiful threads of childhood memories in a difficult present where I see myself advancing in age.
Pictures from the past,
Nothing but threads of memories;
Softly fading, crumbling
Some clouding the future
Some lending momentary relief
Against chaotic present voids
Childhood pictures of nephews and nieces
engulfing the spirit with transient joy
Nothing remains forever,
They have all evolved and I--I am devolving in many ways---
Heels hurt, cracking aching joints await.
Time to pause
Revisit happy memories from my childhood
Silly tree house pictures,
Apple trees, pine trees adorning lush green Abbotabad,
A summer home in the wilderness away from urban din.
Fast forward to past, present and future,
Standing with a gold medal with proud parents,
Watching them age and fearing the transience of life
Thinking of an uncertain future---?---
A radically evolving present
A crumbling tower of memories--- pleasant and unpleasant.