In the Blink of a Mind's Eye

Cool, and sparse. You are always going somewhere new Hazkinz.

As is often the case, your poem instantly brought a memory to mind. Being me, I'll share it.

I once ran into a guy who'd pursued me romantically years before at a job. He gave me the creeps and I turned him down; he was rather ugly about it and said numerous (false and salacious) things about me to our mutual colleagues (and alas, those who didn't know me well were not unwilling to believe him). I moved on to another job shortly thereafter and forgot all about him -- until I ran into him at a social event.

Because it had been a few years, and because I suck at associating names and faces, I didn't instantly place him (plus he'd lost a lot of hair and put on some weight). But as soon as he spoke, it jolted through me who he was (and it was indeed a jolt). Your last line pretty much describes the feeling I had -- the world drained of color. (And I must admit I bolted like a cannon from the event.)

What this calls to mind for me is the very uncomfortable experience that happens often as I am relaxing into sleep, of a sudden unbidden image on the screen of the mind, associated with some memory or other and which always arrives with a burst of cortisol. There is quite a shock with this every time, even though it has happened repeatedly for years. No single memory but a rather sadistic little collection of them!

Oh i do know this feeling.
You've encapsulated it well in this poem.

Like Cass, very specific incident came to mind.

I call that well done.
Great little poem.

I had a very hard week emotionally. The death of someone whose effect on my life was disproportionate to the small amount of time I spent in his excellent company really knocked me sideways. I hadn't seen him in seventeen years and the good thing about how painful the news of his death was, was that it could only have hurt that much because he was fantastic. He came to mind something like this poem.

Of course, it's very effective. No surprise there. I'll wait here until you write something completely crap. I suspect I shall have a long wait.

I agree with several other posters that this is an immediately recognisable sensation. It happens to me so often Many reasons though... professionally I meet and deal with so many different people--I don't even bother to remember names; I use other mnemonic devices instead (usually infantile nicknames I'm sorry to say). Then there are those people from the past, which this poem nods the most at of course, the ones that we know we should recognise, but don't--they're the ones that drain the colour from the day. Facebook has that effect on me... but then it's name plus face, both known to me, but that I can't quite place. Any way, rambling. Enjoyed the poem William, thanks for sharing.

William Haskins said:

A face
clicks into place
in your memory,

firing a jolt
of energy, shivering
time and mind before

bolting, as if from
a cannon, your brain,
draining the day of color.

Click to expand...

I wish I could write like this.

This has the perfect amount of words, each one just right, evoking strong emotions.