***
Still the hidden specter
Still that familiar voice
Still those friendly feelings
Or should I rejoice?
I find your presence upsetting
Why after years, you’re here
I feel you next to me
It causes me a fear
Time passing is reminding
Is it when I join you, finding
My loss of love and companion
Please still your presence
Oh spirit of my mind
Or are you being kind?
Still all that you remind.
***
W3 Prompt #162: Wea’ve Written Weekly
The Bag Lady 
hi, Cheryl 😍
Just wanna let you know that this week’s touching W3 prompt, hosted by our wonderful Sheila Bair, is now live:
Enjoy❣️
Much love,
David
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hi, Cheryl 😍
Just wanna let you know that this week’s W3, hosted by our beloved Kim Whysall-Hammond for the very first time, is now live:
https://skepticskaddish.com/2025/06/11/w3-prompt-163-weave-written-weekly/
Enjoy❣️
Much love,
David
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Cheryl the tug between history/memory and hope with reality is so evident! The question seems to boil down to trust…
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And curiosity
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We never know when unexpected memories will resurface. Well said.
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Thank you for reading
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a moving piece. It exposes much of what makes us human. This is beautiful.
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When memories and voices surface unexpectedly it can be disconcerting. Where did this come from? Why now? You’ve really caught the conflicting emotions. (K)
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It is very strange. I feel my husband’s presence like in my bed or in the room. It’s very strange. He’s been gone 12 years.
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Your words really capture the conflicting emotions of that presencd.
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Cheryl, “Still that familiar voice / Still those friendly feelings” feels especially resonant to me… And the question “Or should I rejoice?” really captures the push and pull of memory and pain.
~David
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Thanks for reading, David
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🤗
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Beautiful. Not all memories bring peace or happiness. Some memories should stay hidden forever, but aren’t those the ones that pop up more frequently?
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I find it disturbing because my husband‘s been gone since 2013. And the last few months this is popped up where I feel like when I’m getting out of bed in the middle of the night I wanna be careful so I don’t wake him up. That is craziness.
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I often wish for some feelings like that. I just wish I knew if he was watching over me or just gone. I used to think I’d sense something but I honestly think it was just hopeful wishing. Who knows though, right?
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What’s odd to me is it’s been so many years and I really didn’t feel anything and now I’m just the last couple of months I am and it’s intriguing to say the least
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I guess it will come in waves. Thats how it is for me at least.
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Loved this Cheryl.
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Thank you
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Cheryl, your poem beautifully captures the complex dance between grief and memory with such authentic emotion. The way you use “still” throughout creates this haunting rhythm that perfectly mirrors how loss echoes through our lives. Your honest exploration of feeling both comforted and unsettled by a loved one’s presence is deeply moving and relatable. The questions you pose reveal such thoughtful introspection about love, loss, and connection beyond death.
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Well, thank you for delving into my poem so thoroughly. My husband passed away in 2013 but only in the last few months have I felt that he’s near me it’s truly A strange feeling.
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