Memory Matters

I arranged my poems for a third book of poetry at the same time I created the two books I published last Autumn, and I hated the arrangement. I found ways to avoid thinking about it, working on it, even acknowledging it existed. Love in Silhouette: Poems and Reflections in Silhouette: Poems, the first two books of poetry I arranged spoke to me, but the third one felt like leftovers.

No one loves leftovers. That's why they tend to linger in the refrigerator until weforce ourselves to eat them so as to not be wasteful or just throw them away because they're spoiled. Okay, someone is sure to say "What about chili? It's always better the second day." I will concede the point by being cliche. Chili is the exception that proves the rule. But as a general rule, leftovers aren't something we look forward to. The longer I thought about that book of poetry, the more I realized I couldn't publish leftovers.

I went back to the beginning and started looking through my poetry. A new meal started formulating. The more I looked, the more it looked like it had the poetential to be a gourmet meal. The more I read, the more a theme emerged. Memories leaped off the pages. Memories wove a story through the poems. The importance of memory in creating a life screamed at me.

I found myself excited about my third books of poetry again.

Memory matters. Memory reminds us who we are and allows us to grow. Memory grounds us to our lives and gives us stability. Memory allows us to reconnect after years apart. Memory feeds yesterday to today so that tomorrow receives nourishment and growth. Memory matters...

And, so my next book of poetry has found a theme and a title, Memory in Silhouette!
T. L. Cooper is an author and poet whose work aims to empower and inspire through an exploration of the human condition. Her poems, short stories, articles, and essays have appeared online, in books, and in magazines. Her published books include a collection of short stories, Soaring Betrayal, her Silhouette Poetry Series, and a novel, All She Ever Wanted. She grew up on a farm in Tollesboro, Kentucky. She currently lives in Albany, Oregon with her husband and three cats.

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