I Remember

I remember I was a dark rose in a stone garden.

I remember being asked to my senior prom. A week before the prom my date changed his mind. To this day, I still don’t know why. Maybe something better came along.

I remember running into a friend at the mall, telling him my sad story, and his sweet offer to escort me. I remember he owned his own white tux.

I remember my mother taking pictures of us at the front door.

I remember my date’s car stalled in our driveway. My parents drove us to his parents’ house so he could borrow his father’s car.

I remember eating our prom date meal at Red Lobster.

I remember being so flat-chested that my nipple popped out of my strapless mint green dress. Some things never change.

I remember we arrived after the crowning of the king and queen.

I remember the movie Carrie, when the bucket of pigs’ blood drenched Sissy Spacek, covered her peach-colored prom dress in red.

I remember having more fun at the after party than the dance, watching the sun rise over sleeping houses.

I can’t remember the name of my date. Can barely picture his face anymore.

I remember wondering what the big deal about senior prom was.


(This is kind of an old poem created out of a writing exercise. Write down 10 "I Remember" statements and see where they take you.)

Comments

paris parfait said…
Funny how you remember all those details, but not your date's name! :) I like the poem, especially "I remember wondering what the big deal about senior prom was."
Anonymous said…
Hey, I've done this exercise in a workshop. The one we did was based on a tremendously long poem titled, not surprisingly, "I Remember ..."

Ironically, I can't remember the name of the poet who wrote that poem.

You’ve made this into a poem, you know, not just an exercise.
Deb R said…
What a cool idea! I may have to try this one.

PS...at least your original date gave you a week's notice, pitiful as that is. My niece recently had her prom date cancel on her just hours before the dance, the jerk!
Anonymous said…
I loved your poem and the idea behind it; I've been working on this, in combo with the "If these walls could talk" prompt from a few weeks ago at Poetry Thursday. I just wandered back to make sure this was a free-use exercise idea. Since it seems to be, I should be posting it soon.

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