by Kariza Montealegre

Memories are stories we’ve kept in the tiny compartments of our heads. If we look into our minds, they’re probably libraries housing books about our past. One part of that library could be named Past Lovers (which could be in the Restricted Section for some *wink*). If given a chance, would you pick up a book from this section? Or, would you just leave it until it gathers dust?

If you’re torn, you could probably get some advice from Charles Bukowski’s poem Girlfriends. (It happens to be the 95^th birth anniversary of Charles Bukowski, so allow me to share one of his poems in honor of his birthday.) Published in the book Love is a Dog from Hell in 1977, the piece speaks about leaving the past behind and not looking back (there goes the advice).

Girlfriends

the women of the past keep
phoning.
there was another yesterday
arrived from out of
state.
she wanted to see
me.
I told her
“no.”

I don’t want to see
them,
I won’t see them.
it would be
awkward
gruesome and
useless.

I know some people who can
watch the same movie
more than
once.

not me.
once I know the
plot
once I know the
ending
whether it’s happy or
unhappy or
just plain
dumb,
then

for me
that movie is
finished
forever
and that’s why
I refuse
to let
any of my
old movies play
over and over again
for
years.

So, would you revisit those stories from the Past Lovers section? Or shall I say, would you play those old movies over and over?

While we’re at it, allow me to play matchmaker between poetry and music. I suggest you listen to Star’s “Your Ex-Lover is Dead” because Bukowski would have totally sung “Live through this, and you won’t look back.”

☁️

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