Inspiration: It’s been 16 years since my parents passed on ….and I haven’t said this out loud but….sometimes I have to use 100x the energy to remember what they looked like in real life. Maybe because I always wanted to hold on to the pictures in my head and not the ones in the photo album, for the ones in my head are alive and they speak. Now I fear losing that album and not being able to remember it. Is it even possible? I had this fear for years and a part of me says I’m being ridiculous ….but what if there comes a time when pictures fade, permanently?
Dismiss(ed)
When time takes its time yet it feels like we are running out of time
Memories of you evaporate and I have nothing left to hold on to
It feels like I’m losing you even though I have nothing left to lose
I fear not remembering yet remembering hurts, so maybe it’s time I let you go
Pictures of you went from being vivid to being vague and blurred right in front of my eyes
Your voice was loud but now all I hear are the echoes dying down
I waited for this moment but now that it’s here I am hurting
Do you see me, do you feel me, do you hear me?
I have lost touch with my senses
Or maybe things have started to make sense
Either way, I held on to memories of you for I love you
And it’s because that I love you that I am setting you free
Go on, fly without me
I won’t hold on to your wings no more.
Jane Mpholo is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, entrepreneur, and changemaker from Botshabelo, South Africa. As CEO of Jane Mpholo Pty Ltd, she is pioneering work in theatre, film, and site-specific performance art. The first recipient of the CCIA’s “Outstanding Actor in Theatre” award, she has performed, written, and produced for national and international stages. Honored with two honorary awards from Onalerona Productions NPC and the Southern Region Women in Media Awards, she is a mentor, producer, and advocate for inclusivity. Through bold storytelling, she sparks important conversations, shaping the performing arts landscape and inspiring change worldwide.
2 thoughts on “Dismiss(ed)”
I think about this daily, I think of the ones I lost because I am afraid that the pictures will go away. I thought I was alone. Thank you……..
Hey Moitheri…..you are not alone sis. The only issue is that most of us are not comfortable talking about our pain and fears. If we openly spoke about things…..we could find some sort of comfort and healing. Thank you….I also thought I was alone 🫂