Intoxicating Remembrance

by Belinda Munoz on April 26, 2011

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Some hurts are not
meant to throb and bleed
in the merciless glare
of the sun.

Instead,
they are harvested –
the choicest plucked from the vine –
for a bit of cathartic crushing.

Wrung of its juice
then stored in barrels
hidden in caves,
left to process, ferment and age,
like a secret
tucked in the deep where
only the winged or the wise can reach.

Many moons pass and even
the reddest, bitterest
blood fades.
What remains,
bottled or spilled,
is intoxicating remembrance.

+++++++++++

for One Shot Wednesday

image by Zest-pk

{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }

1 ayala April 26, 2011 at 5:23 am

Gorgeous…this made me drift into remembrance. I love it, Belinda.

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2 meg April 26, 2011 at 7:21 am

You are writing about my life right now–and how I feel about it–and put it so elegantly–

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3 TheKitchenWitch April 26, 2011 at 9:14 am

Damn! This one’s awesome! I love the idea of past hurts waiting, transforming, becoming something of value.

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4 Sara Healy April 26, 2011 at 10:10 am

Belinda,

MARVELOUS… the comparison for creating and storing wine to past hurts. I loved it and liked how you made the hurt change, like wine does, into something we can enjoy with the fondness that comes with age.

Excellently written, my friend.

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5 brian April 26, 2011 at 2:27 pm

my wine usually bitters when i store it too long but i do tend to find my feelings mellow into better rememberances…

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6 dustus April 26, 2011 at 2:44 pm

A beautiful description of the aging process, considering both “spoils” and the nature of a fine pleasure. Also made me want to go wine tasting. A wonderfully written poem, Belinda

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7 Laura Hegfield April 26, 2011 at 3:07 pm

Gorgeous! love this “left to process, ferment and age,
like a secret
tucked in the deep where
only the winged or the wise can reach.” so exquisite!

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8 Talon April 26, 2011 at 4:38 pm

What lovely imagery – the idea of a hurt being transformed into something valuable and worthwhile.

This was beautiful, Belinda.

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9 bkmackenzie April 26, 2011 at 4:43 pm

Yes, it is an intoxicating rememberance at its finest…I love the California Vineyards….bkm

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10 CM @ A Little Lilac April 26, 2011 at 7:34 pm

Wow, beautiful writing. What a metaphor for life!

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11 hedgewitch April 26, 2011 at 9:01 pm

And some hurts do both, yet they all distill down into what we remember of ourselves, what matters, with time. Insightful piece.

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12 libraryscene April 27, 2011 at 12:45 am

really love where you took this…the metaphor is so apt, and I can certainly understand the sentiment.. a glass raised to your lovely write , cheers ~

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13 wolfsrosebud April 27, 2011 at 5:12 am

Beautiful comparison…

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14 John (@bookdreamer) April 27, 2011 at 8:31 am

Oh yes the past can be drank many times but age enables a better palette

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15 Claudia April 27, 2011 at 9:06 am

..like a secret
tucked in the deep where
only the winged or the wise can reach… LOVED this…

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16 Marci | Liberating Choices April 27, 2011 at 10:22 am

Intoxicating remembrance – I love these 2 words together! You make this process sound magically beautiful.

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17 Jannie Funster April 27, 2011 at 11:17 am

O, Wise, wonderful winged one of words one can get right into and tromp with one’s feet, nice squishy little grapes of truth between the toes…

May the intoxicating memories

and memories of intoxication

and the very sweetest of them,

fill your cup of healing forever.

xoxo

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18 Glynn April 27, 2011 at 1:21 pm

I really like this – and that “cathartic crushing” is a great line.

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19 Emmanuel Ibok April 27, 2011 at 1:28 pm

Nice one. Bottled or spilled, it is a product of the fermenting process that leads to intoxication and its remembrance.

Bless!

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20 Henry Clemmons April 27, 2011 at 7:04 pm

This is some serious skill. One of the better poems I’ve read in a while. The voice was clear and crisp, like a dry wine and a sharp cheese. Your opening is classic. If you are published somewhere I would enjoy the read. You know poem. Inspiring.

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21 Rudri Bhatt Patel @ Being Rudri April 27, 2011 at 7:31 pm

Love the metaphor and the language you use. Nice one Belinda!

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22 rob white April 28, 2011 at 7:24 am

Wow Belinda. That is powerful! Makes me think that we hide our WOEs and NO’s deep down – until one day they rouse themselves from our subconscious — and we, drunk on pity sabotage our best efforts for living our dreams.

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23 Brook April 29, 2011 at 1:33 pm

I really love the imagery here.
This is beautiful!

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