Memories arrive like choke chains.
That smell
curled inside your nostrils
that sort of seems like Christmas
but you can’t remember why.
It can be summer,
sweat sliding into the creases
behind your knees,
shoulders tight, and prickled,
where you know they’ve been caught
because you left the house too soon
without sunscreen of glasses
to keep your forehead from crumpling
into frown lines against the sun,
blinking away the green dancers
flashing into view when the lights dim.
Even with the sound of children,
crashing through the shallows
and pedalos cutting through the lake,
one smell can spring you into winter.
Make you shudder
and wish
that the name you’re thinking of
was a little closer than the tip of your tongue.
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Published by Carol J Forrester
Carol J Forrester is a writer and a history geek. Her debut collection 'It's All In The Blood' came out November 2019.
She has a 2:1 BA degree in history from Bath Spa University, enjoys judo at least twice a week, and tries to attend poetry events around the Midlands when she can.
Her flash fiction story ‘Glorious Silence’ was named as River Ram Press’ short story of the month for August 2014 and her short story ‘A Visit From The Fortune Teller’ has been showcased on the literary site Ink Pantry. Her poems ‘Sunsets’ and ‘Clear Out‘ were featured on Eyes Plus Words, and two of her poems were included in the DVerse Poets Pub Publication ‘Chiaroscuro’ which is available for purchase on amazon.Her poem ‘Until The Light Gets In‘ was accepted and published at The Drabble and her poem ‘Newborn’ was published by Ink Sweat & Tears.
She has been lucky enough to write guest posts for sites such as Inky Tavern and Song of The Forlorn and has hosted a number of guest bloggers on her site Writing and Works.
View all posts by Carol J Forrester
