Core Memory

By Jackson DD

My grandfather has memories

He’ll tell stories that create my world

Each scar on his hands holds a character

Every hair on his arms creates dialogue

His skin cells are formed by twists and turns

The hair on his arm is white like snow

I know there are characters he is forgetting

And scars fade with age so what does that say?

His skin is calloused and twists some turns in his memory

My grandfather is a collection of memories

That’s all I’ve known him to be

But what happens when they’re gone?

I remember visiting his mother in the nursing home when I was young

She did not remember him

A core memory formed of forget