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Silent Movies

As silent movies play inside your head,
Their scattered shadows, faint and far away,
You try to understand what’s being said,
As silent movies play inside your head—
Remembrance of a life that you once led.
The memories are left in disarray,
As silent movies play inside your head,
Their scattered shadows, faint and far away;

Now fading in, now fading out—a reel
Of flimsy film. The past is but a dream,
Selective in its choosing to reveal;
Now fading in, now fading out—a reel
Of cinematic scenes that feel surreal,
Submerged in memory’s Lethean stream;
Now fading in, now fading out—a reel
Of flimsy film. The past is but a dream.

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Cheryl Corey is a poet who lives in Connecticut. “Three Sisters,” her trio of poems about the sisters of Fate which were first published by the Society of Classical Poets, are featured in “Gods and Monsters,” an anthology of mythological poems (MacMillan Children’s Books, 2023).

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25 Responses

  1. Roy Eugene Peterson

    Wonderful concept of a silent movie playing inside the head with no sound. I am fortunate to replay memories in vivid color. The “Lethean stream” was an impressive addition.

    Reply
    • Cheryl Corey

      Thanks Roy. Interesting that your memories are so vividly remembered in color. I’d say mine are more like splashes of color.

      Reply
  2. Margaret Brinton

    You bring out the importance concept that a person’s memories are selective!

    Reply
  3. Brian Yapko

    This is a marvelous poem, Cheryl, which explores the silent movie metaphor with skill and even some surprise. I’ve never thought of memories in this way, but there is truth to your conceit — the flashes that rewind over and over, the close-ups, the fading quality. I find myself wanting more on this subject!

    Reply
    • Cheryl Corey

      Thanks, Brian. Certain memories have been popping into my head lately, as if beyond my control, and then I began to realize that I was only able to remember bits and pieces of events, as if they were selective movie frames. In keeping with the movie theme, I wanted to play on what are called “fade-in” and “fade-out”, two cinematographic terms.

      Reply
  4. Cynthia L Erlandson

    This is beautifully composed, with the repetitions perhaps representing our inability to stop certain thoughts from continuing to recur — yet each repeated line seeming to be in just the right place.

    Reply
  5. Cheryl Corey

    I’m off topic here, but I’d like to give a shout out to SCP poets who received “Laureates’ Choice” in the Maria Faust sonnet contest: Shamik Banerjee, Susan Jarvis Bryant, and Monika Cooper. If I’ve overlooked anyone, kindly post.

    Reply
  6. Warren Bonham

    Fantastic! Unlike Roy, I had to look up Lethean Stream. I can’t imagine that I never learned about that, but all of those brain cells faded out long ago.

    Reply
    • Cheryl Corey

      I’m a big believer in life-long learning, Warren, and the poets at SCP provide much of it!

      Reply
  7. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Cheryl, I just love this song of a poem with its enchanting, hypnotic effect – excellent use of repetition!

    Reply
  8. Margaret Coats

    Excellent double triolet, Cheryl, on a sophisticated subject that seems perfectly suited to the form–because you make it that way! The first attempt is very much to your credit.

    Reply
    • Cheryl Corey

      Thank you, Margaret. After completing the first, I realized that I had more to say on the subject, and I was determined to link them.

      Reply
  9. David Whippman

    Thanks for this clever poem about the nature of memory. It’s a classic form isn’t it, something like a rondeau?

    Reply
  10. Paul A. Freeman

    I had the image of the projectionist changing the two or three movie reels of a film’s matinee, afternoon and evening showings. The triolet form brought this out well.

    Thanks for the read.

    Reply
  11. Stephen M. Dickey

    This is an excellent poem (I missed it when it appeared). The metaphor and form combine very effectively for the subject which is broached rather infrequently.

    Reply
  12. Theresa Werba

    Cheryl, I can feel the past ebbing and flowing inside me when I read your poem. The triolet form is perfect for echoing the recurring nature of our memories. I happen to love silent films so this poem is all the more gratifying to have read. Makes me want to watch some Lillian Gish! Well done!

    Reply

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