Remember me when I am dead
and simplify me when I’m dead.
As the processes of earth
strip off the colour of the skin:
take the brown hair and blue eye
and leave me simpler than at birth,
when hairless I came howling in
as the moon entered the cold sky.
Of my skeleton perhaps,
so stripped, a learned man will say
“He was of such a type and intelligence,” no more.
Thus when in a year collapse
particular memories, you may
deduce, from the long pain I bore
the opinions I held, who was my foe
and what I left, even my appearance
but incidents will be no guide.
Time’s wrong-way telescope will show
a minute man ten years hence
and by distance simplified.
Through that lens see if I seem
substance or nothing: of the world
deserving mention or charitable oblivion,
not by momentary spleen
or love into decision hurled,
leisurely arrive at an opinion.
Remember me when I am dead
and simplify me when I’m dead.
(Keith Douglas)
More Poetry from Keith Douglas:
Keith Douglas Poems based on Topics: Time, Opinions, Birth, World, Intelligence, Memory- Vergissmeinn (Keith Douglas Poems)
- Aristocrats: (Keith Douglas Poems)
- Actors Waiting In The Wings Of Europe (incomplete) (Keith Douglas Poems)
- Desert Flowers (Keith Douglas Poems)
- The Knife (Keith Douglas Poem)
- Vergissmeinnicht (Keith Douglas Poem)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: World Poems, Time Poems, Memory Poems, Birth Poems, Opinions Poems, Intelligence PoemsBased on Keywords: charitable, incidents, deduce, processes, hairless, simplified, simplify