“The heart remembers everything it loved and gave away,
everything it lost and found again, and everyone
it loved, the heart cannot forget.”
from ‘What the Heart Cannot Forget’ by Joyce Sutphen
Memories of your gentle face
are sketched
on my heart,
like paths across the landscape.
The shape of your lips
is etched
into my genealogy.
The frost of that morning stings
just as much,
sparkling and stiffening
remaining leaves
and silvering the grass.
And my heart still wonders
when I will find you again,
because my heart cannot forget.
Kim M Russell, 8th January 2025
Mary is our host at What’s Going On? this Wednesday, and she would like us to be inspired by the poem ‘What the Heart Cannot Forget’ by Joyce Sutphen, which I hadn’t come across before today, and which touched me deeply, especially as tomorrow is the eighth anniversary of my mother’s death.
Mary would like us to write poems which take something from this poem. She says that we can follow the format and write our own ‘remembering’ poems, or we can choose another way of writing, but somewhere in our poems we should try to use either the phrase ‘The _____ remembers’ or ‘The ___ cannot forget’.
I decided to take the lines that meant the most to me and use them as an epigram, which I then used to inspire my poem.
writing in north norfolk 
This is so moving, Kim
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Thank you so much, VJ.
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Welcome
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This is so beautiful and moving. So is the photo, Kim. You & your mom? “The frost of that morning stings” The pierces us too.
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Thank you so much, Sumana. Yes, that’s me at two years old with my mum.
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The line pierces
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That is the way I remember, too: the sketches like paths, the genealogy. Lovely.
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Thank you, Susan!
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Such a tender and moving write, Kim.
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Thank you so much, Punam.
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This poem speaks straight to the heart. I love the hope of “when I will find you again” because the heart can never forget those we have loved so deeply. What a wonderful photo of you and your beautiful Mom.
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Thank you kindly, Sherry. She was beautiful.
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Such a beautiful and touching poem, Kim! It sounds as if this prompt found you at the right time. Mother-love is something worth always remembering. Blessings to you on the (tomorrow) anniversary of your mother’s death!
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Thank you so much Mary.
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The frost of that morning stings
just as much, – that sharp sting of loss…heartfelt.
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Thank you, Rajani.
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Such a tender and engaging poem – I am glad you have such dear memories to hold on to
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Thank you very much, Jae.
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Sending you hugs on the anniversary of your mother’s death. So hard.
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Thank you, Nolcha. I’m not long up and she was my first thought.
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Look at that shining young face with the carefree smile!
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My mum had a wonderful smile. Some say I have it too.
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A heartfelt poem and your photo shines with love.
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Thank you, Truedessa.
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A beautiful heartfelt tribute to your beautiful Mum. A very sad poem.
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Thank you so much, Rall.
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Such a beautiful, moving tribute to your mother. The first person I long to see his my Cynthia Dawn. I hold on to the hope I will see her again.
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Thank you so much Susie. I hope you see Cynthia Dawn again too.
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A very tender, touching poem, Kim. Beautiful tribute to your mom.
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Thank you, Sara.
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