Sorry, I Must Have Forgotten (Reprise)

This “reprise” acts as a follow-up to a poem I shared over a year ago now. While it is not strictly required for you to read that piece before this one, it is highly recommended, and you can do so by clicking on the post linked below:

Sorry, I Must Have Forgotten

Tom ShawTom Shaw

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedIgnorance is not like bliss
when its implication hits
brutally and painfully.
I forgot you were human,
berating your sheepishness,
ignorant of my cruel hiss.

Sorry, I must have forgotten.
And now I am here to remember.

I’m the one who pushed your head
deep into the sand of guilt,
cowardly and heartlessly.
I saw you as one lesser,
leaving you in yesterday
feeling not enough was said.

Sorry, I must have forgotten.
And now I am here to remember.

Let me let ignorance sleep
and take the road to within
gracefully and carefully.
There I neglected my self,
berating my foolishness,
ignoring my need to weep.

Sorry, I must have forgotten.
And now I am here to remember.

I’m the one who pushed my head
deep into the sand of guilt,
cowardly and heartlessly.
I saw me as one lesser,
leaving me in yesterday
feeling not enough was said.

Sorry, I must have forgotten.
And now I am here to remember.
Henceforth I’m taking my heart-reigns
so I can lead by example.

Sorry, I Must Have Forgotten (Reprise) - A Poem by Tom Shaw

This piece was written in response to several people commenting on the original poem to say that they’d love an exploration of the “remembering” that is required to overcome the collective amnesia of humanity to how to live authentically. Ask and ye shall receive.

To coincide with this new release, I am happy to announce that my latest poetry book, Go Forth, Butterfly! is now available as a digital bundle with both an audiobook and an eBook. If you would like to buy a copy, physical or digital, it would support my work massively - you can do so by clicking on the button below:

I also did a livestream last week where I read a few pieces of the book. If you weren’t able to tune in at the time, you can find the recording below:

Poetry Readings from Go Forth, Butterfly!

Note: We experienced a few audio issues on the night, which are cut out of the recording for your viewing pleasure.

Tom ShawTom Shaw

In a way, completing this digital bundle and book feels like a closure to this first chapter of my poetic efforts in life. For the past few years, I’ve been gradually writing and sharing my poetic explorations of the world around me and sharing them through these posts and online, in small chapbooks like Go Forth, Butterfly! and increasingly in-person. It’s been a big phase of discovery and experimentation, and through it I’m honoured to have created pieces that have resonated with so many people.

My callings going forward are to:

• Combine poetry with other mediums of art
• Craft longer narrative pieces that help to keep alive some of the best myths, legends and teachings of the dying empires of the Western world
• Pursue more opportunities for face-to-face and offline poetic explorations

As a result, I don’t foresee any new poetry books like my previous efforts anytime in the near future. I will, of course, continue to share poems with you here every other week, and sharing other musings or recordings I’ve done with others in the interim. I have a few exciting things in the pipeline already, so watch this space.

Thank you for taking the time to read this piece, and for being a part of the journey so far. I look forward to sharing more with you soon.

With gratitude,

Tom

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