What is Left Behind?

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Monday Morning Musings:

What is Left Behind?

“What is a person, if not the marks they leave behind?”
― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

“To be a Flower, is profound
Responsibility —”
–Emily Dickinson, “Bloom”

Secrets left beside rocks
in sharp-toothed winter and
between summer’s lazy cat blooms

death the void, a life erased
a vanished glow

cosmic dust in our veins,
our carbon footprints, traces of supernovas—
we carry the castoffs of stars—winged things

that whipped through winds, rushed through rivers
into sea and air—captured there—

reborn again.

We’re not remembered, we can’t recall
the distant ancestors that began us
and
connected all

like bees to flowers, a profound responsibility–

we hold the infinite within, the ghostly gleam
of ancient splendor, the radiance of beginning.

Today is Memorial Day, the day we commemorate American soldiers who have died (different from Veteran’s Day in November). I abhor war, and yet I’m thankful for all who fought during WWII to defeat fascists and authoritarian governments, and support those who fight against them today. It makes me furious that there are people who are fine with such horrible ideas, but who wave flags about and call themselves patriots. And don’t get me started on the people who wave US flags and Confederate or flags with Nazi symbols. We literally fought wars against both.

I read a novel recently that I really liked, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, about a woman who makes a bargain with a dark god of night, that allows her to live on for centuries, but no one remembers her. I had put the quotation above, and then I read Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American post today, where she wrote of a soldier who died in WWII:

“but I am haunted by the holes those deaths rip forever in the social fabric: the discoveries not made, the problems not solved, the marriages not celebrated, the babies not born.”

It made me think about how even when we’re forgotten, traces of us remain.

I also recently read a NY Times article about how scientists can collect DNA from the environment and what ethical questions have to now be resolved.

And speaking of ethical questions, we streamed a movie, The Artifice Girl, which is all about that. An AI “girl” is created to catch child predators, but the movie is really about if or when she should be considered a person. Should she be asked for her consent to do what she does? The movie is structured like a play, and I think it would be an excellent stage play. It is classified as sci-fi, but it is movie of talking, not action. (You know, a Merril movie. 😉)

We also watched the first season of Astrid, a French mystery series that we enjoyed quite a bit. (We’re watching it on PBS Passport.) We’ll start the second season later in the week. It’s called Astrid et Raphaëlle in France. Raphaëlle is a police office, and Astrid is a criminal archivist who is autistic. They begin to work together and eventually become friends.

Tonight, we plan to watch the final episode of Mrs. Maizel—Memorial Maizel.

Some random food pictures:

This is NOT a cat that I saw this morning.

55 thoughts on “What is Left Behind?”

  3. Wonderful heron photos! And what is the black and white thing, a skunk?
    I suppose to religious people it doesn’t matter if we forget the dead because they believe they know where they are. Historically though, we have a duty to remember them and their lives, because history and the truth of it, matters.

    • Thank you!
      My daughter and I met for a walk. This is the first heron I’ve seen this spring. It’s a nature preserve at what used to be a golf course.

      And yes, that is a skunk! Fortunately, I didn’t startle it, the way we startled the heron, or I’d still be in the shower. 🙂

      I agree (of course) about history and truth.

    • Hi Carol! Thank you so much for sharing! I appreciate it so much. I can’t say what the trouble might me with your friend being unable to subscribe. But I hope she/he tries again. 😊

  12. That heron is magnificent!
    In the first picture, the skunk looks like an anime creature.
    Everything leaves an imprint on the world, especially in its absence I think. So many wasted lives. And yet, as you say, evil must be fought. (K)

  13. Your pictures are stunning and your poem, as always, beautiful.
    I just watched the final Mrs. Maisel. Such a wonderful ending.
    I love that top quote and also the one from “Letters from an American”. They really do go together.

    • Thank you so much, Dale!
      I’m pleased you thought those quotes went together.

      I enjoyed the ending of Mrs. Maisel, too. I’m glad they gave it a real ending. I hate when series just fizzle out–though I will miss this show. They seemed liked they enjoyed working together, too.

      • Definitely.

        Yes! And not an ending where it’s what people want, necessarily. Would it have been nice for Midge and Joel to get back together officially? Maybe. But I like this better. It was a wonderful show, for sure. A friend of mine says the best part was Alex Borstein as Susie Meyerson. He’s a comedian so he appreciated her the most. (She was great!)

      • If you ever watch Gilmore Girls, she plays some recurring roles throughout the seasons. She’s “Miss Celine” and she’s a harpist in the first season. She is great.

  14. Hi Merril, it’s been a while since I have taken some time to check out the blogs I follow and I was generously rewarded with this post. I feel that, though citizens of different countries, you and I are quite aligned in our political views and our abhorrence of fascism, which is sadly on the rise in both the US and Canada, perhaps other places as well. That’s frightening, but also a reminder that we must always embrace art as that is one of the things that truly keeps us human. Thank you for your post, your photos and your sharing. It makes a difference.

    • Hi Steve. Thank you so much for reading and for leaving such a thoughtful comment. Yes, it appears that fascism–or forms of authoritarian rule–are increasing throughout the world. Art is truly something that makes us human, and it is also why it gets banned by such regimes–because it makes us dream and think. 💙

  16. Where to start? Your poem, as always, is beautiful! Your selected quotes are perfect. Your photography is exquisite! LOVE the adorable cat! Your food looks delicious as always! I can’t tell, is that a skunk? I’m with you one hundred thousand percent on the people who wave flags and call themselves patriots. (Keep in mind, I’m in Florida, so it’s BAD here!) And I believe you know how much I’ve studied the Holocaust, which also makes me wonder how the so-called “patriots” can dare wave a Nazi flag considering all the U.S. and Allies did to help liberate the concentration camps. It makes me sick! I love your selected quote from Heather Cox Richardson! I think it was a perfect choice. Great job, dear friend! ❤

    • Thank you very much for your kind words, Rachel.
      Yes, it is a skunk! 🙂

      Yes, Florida is scary bad. There is no logic to or reasoning with people who blindly follow despots. And so many are ignorant about history (which is what authoritarian leaders and governments want). They don’t want knowledge or reasoning.

      • Yeah, it’s scary bad being here. I don’t understand people’s “logic” on the matter either. I thought the orange guy was about the worst we could possibly ever see, then Mr. Florida was re-elected, and I see I may have been wrong. Or they’re at least tied.

  17. As always, I’m amazed at how much we think alike. However, YOU are the one who puts it all in such gorgeous poetic form. How we wonder – what is left of us, when we are gone? I like thinking of my ancestors in there somewhere, in my blood and sinew and neural pathways, guiding me, teaching me from their own lessons. May I do the same for my great-great grandchildren. And for those who don’t procreate, still, those whom they have touched in ways during their lives – that is stardust as well.

  19. I hate war too! Stupidest thing man ever came up with.
    One of the best things my government ever did was NOT side with the US re: Vietnam, and took in draft dodgers.
    Still, I’m with you about the soldiers.
    That cat looks skunk like. I hope it has a home.
    Your cat’s a beauty.

  21. This is such an inspiring post! It’s fascinating to consider how our lives are so closely connected with the universe, and how we carry traces of stars in our veins. It’s a reminder of how precious life is, and how much we owe to those who have fought for our freedom. I’m sure we can all take a moment today to remember the fallen soldiers, and also to recognize those who fight for freedom today. Thank you for such a thought-provoking and timely post.

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