Suitcase
It is not only words that conjure memories in us. Sometimes items take us somewhere. Perhaps memories of the past or to something in the future. Perhaps something hidden, or intriguing? Or something you love that you have forgotten about?
This week’s word was ‘suitcase’. Where does the word or the image of the word take you? Perhaps just jot down a few words and see your own poetic expression form. That’s as simple as it need be to get started and begin a wonderful journey within, that you can share and enjoy with others.
It was wonderful where the poems and expressions led this week. We hope you enjoy the read, and perhaps express your own feelings about the ‘suitcase’.
PS the word for next week is ‘handle’. Now I wonder where this will take us… Please feel free to join in.
Suitcase
All my journeys
Begin and end
Packing, unpacking
My constant friend
All I own
All I possess
On foot
In cars
On trains
Buses and Planes
Silently observing
By my side
My companion
Never asking why
No demands
Or condemnations
Always there
Sharing in my trials
And tribulations
No complaints
Now domiciled
And at rest
My partner
Is stored
In solitude
A time
To reflect.
Having spent
Time under
Beds
In wardrobes
Storage rooms
Attics
And sheds
Until once more
My travel mate
A new adventure
We undertake.
When we
Set out
And about
My suitcase
And I
On our
Final tour
With our
Shared
Memories
Secured
Packed away
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting
PJR 04/04/2022
Suitcase
What have you got there?
My luggage with all my belongings to be fair
‘Well let’s weigh it, to be aware’
‘It is too heavy!’, oh what a nightmare
It ain’t heavy
It’s my luggage
‘Um, we are in a situation
This is our migration
Can’t you let it go, we’re heading for a new nation?’
‘NO! I cannot do that, for your information’
The queue at check-in is getting longer
Carrying such heavy cases made me stronger
Looking behind I felt more wronger
Watching those waiting doing the anger-conger
It ain’t heavy
It’s my luggage
‘Your other case is lighter’
‘You can share the load’ she said looking brighter
Will we be able to repack two cases? The time is looking tighter
That is our only hope, despite her
Sweat was pouring off my brow
I open both luggage cases somehow
I begin to move items where the space allow
I have no idea whether the weight will be right now
It ain’t heavy
It’s my luggage
This is such a busy US airport
People milling around and time is short
There was a noticeable lack of support
The luggage suitcases, I had to distort
Having guess-rebalanced the luggage cases
There was definite lack of available spaces
It was all out with the belts and braces
Moving towards the check-in passed anxious faces
It ain’t heavy
It’s my luggage
Have we made the required balance of weight?
Will we be allowed through to the gate?
We are all in a terrible state
Nervous to discover our fate
To leave any stuff behind would be untenable
We need what we brought, it is all indispensable
To settle until our home belongings are accessible
Which will be about 10 weeks by boat is possible
It ain’t heavy
It’s my luggage
So can we proceed to board this plane?
To Hawaii, then NZ through to Adelaide, that’s insane
With ourselves and 2 children 4 and 2, to explain
We never expected to experience this strain
We put our repacked luggage cases on the scale
The Check-in staff member looks at the readout detail
Have we repacked the weight ok or is it a fail?
Her expressionless face and disdain suggests jail…
It ain’t heavy
It’s my luggage
She looks up at us and says ‘it is ok!’
We all look at each other feeling, ‘no way’
‘We will now make it on our flight hip hooray!’
She stuck over-weight labels on luggage, saying ‘have a nice day’
That luggage helped us to survive
Until all our other stuff did arrive
We could apply for jobs, play with toys and drive
Around Adelaide, and where to live we could derive
It was heavy
It’s our luggage
(NRS)
Suitcase
He told me that he left with just a suitcase and violin,
I imagined him as young man leaving on the ship –
The Castel Bianco, so mum recalls
With a few of his hand selected items
I never asked him about what items made the grade
Clothes, special items
Perhaps photographs
Of the family and friends
He was leaving behind
Memories
Many of which I had hardly explored
And surprisingly he rarely divulged
Unless prodded or prompted
I wish I knew more about what laid deep in his heart
About what lead him to choose a brand new start
Post war, what did he witness or was it escape?
Such a big decision for a 20 year old to take
But I sensed he arrived with a case full of hope and opportunity
With hands that could work – he was a mechanic
Mind that could discern – with natural logic and wit
Heart that could feel the music – a sensitivity and passion
He came with a readiness to begin a new path
On new land
On new territory
A feeling so grand
And while the suitcase that had accompanied him
Has been thrown away
The violin and case, still lives with me today
It will soon to be passed down
As a beautiful memory
Or perhaps even better
A wonderful legacy
TLaB