Re-Member

We add the prefix,

pronouncing a single word

so easily, sure we understand

all the "re" there is to know.

Telling the story over and over,

whether it's out loud

to the same person

or different folks,

or silently pushing the rewind

and replay buttons in our hearts

and minds, we have a firm grasp

on the repetitive nature

of reliving events from the past,

whether they were in our own past

or somewhere before or beyond that.

But what about the "member"?

What dimension does it add

to the word's meaning?

It's the population of a place,

group, or organization;

the peopling of a particular narrative.

To bring a story back to life –

to remember – is to keep

its characters alive in your life;

to call the roll and hear members

from the past answer,

"Present and accounted for."

Their voices won't likely

vibrate your eardrums,

their physicality probably

won't cast a visible shadow;

but your heart will hear and see

them as loud and large as ever.

When you bring them back this way,

I hope you'll find ways

to endure the regrets and

pain their parting still causes.

I pray you'll listen for a story

of your future into which

they're re-membering you;

a story written in the font

of grace before you were born.

© 2015 Todd Jenkins