I hold on to my memories so dearly—
sometimes, I fear they’re all I have.
Perhaps that’s why I keep making new ones—
snapshots from today
that might sweeten tomorrow,
like faded photographs tucked into the corners of my mind.
But memories, they fade—softly, quietly, bit by bit.
That’s why it matters to live each moment
as if it truly counts—
because it does count.
Like my father’s voice—
I still feel its warmth wrapping around me now and then,
but I can’t summon it easily.
Only when I close my eyes and hold onto
a moment from long ago
does his voice return.
It no longer floats to my ears uninvited,
but needs to be called back—gently.
Like my grandfather’s playful meow—
a sound that tricked us as kids,
his way of announcing himself.
I remember it so clearly
that even now, when I hear a cat cry,
I pause,
half-expecting to see him
walking down that pebbled road again.
Like the taste of chendamuri—
that sweet treat of banana infused in coconut milk and ghee
my grandmother used to make.
More than the taste,
I remember the smell wafting from the kitchen,
filling us with joy
before we even took a bite.
Memories—they form an album
stitched in giggles and smiles,
rooted in childhood.
They fade,
only to return
through a taste or a smell,
a random sound or a forgotten word.
Memories make a home inside me.
And I have built a castle out of them.
They fade in and out,
but each time they return,
they remind me of something spectacular—
a moment, a person, a feeling
I should never take for granted.
And memories—
they brighten today,
not just because of the people
who now live within them,
but because when tomorrow feels lost and dull,
today’s memories
will shine like stars,
guiding me through the fog.
Memories—
they fade in and out.
But when they gleam,
they light up the day.
This piece is written in response to the two hundredth and forty-sixth edition of Fiction Monday inspired by the word prompt – FADE hosted by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell.
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Void Thoughts 
I agree with Anamika! “…to live each moment… because it does count” You did that and that is why you are able to share those moments in the most beautiful manner! “…never take for granted…” speaks of how much you cherish the memories of your loved ones! Lovely poem!
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This is such a tender and heartfelt poem, Vinitha. You have captured how special memories are, how they fade, but still find their way back to us. It is a lovely reminder to cherish the little moments while we can. This brilliant poem should be published in some publication.
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