Remembering Guitar Chords

[JoelJosol]

His fingers never forget

the chords he played on the guitar,

nor the tunes he hummed with it.

 

He remembers

the night he played them

after she walked away.

 

The strings vibrate fine,

the lyrics are about ex-lovers,

but the singing comes out like a moan.

 

He loves his guitar

and the slow notes he plucks,

his fingers sliding along its frets,

 

as if recalling the texture

of her skin.

[tonyv]

Yes, Joel, I've been away from the guitar for awhile, but whenever I do pick it up, though I may be rusty, I find that it comes back quickly:

His fingers neither forget

the chords he played on the guitar,

nor the tunes he hummed with it.

I like how, for him, the guitar serves as a tangible reminder of his lost love.

 

Tony

[pawn shop]

Being a guitar player....I enjoyed this poem.

I used to play electric guitar....Gibson les paul......cherry sunburst.....

now I just have a acoustic 12 string guitar.....

just had irt restrung and it sounds so beautiful.....but not as good as this poem's meaning.

[Tinker]

Hi Joel, Your poem carries so much emotion in the simplest act of strumming a guitar. (well simple for someone who plays, you know what I mean) The poem is beautiful.

[JoelJosol]

Thank you, Tony, pawn shop, and Tink.

 

I replaced 'neither' with 'never' as it sounded to me later as prosaic.

[goldenlangur]

Hi JoelJoso,

 

 

How well you evoke how feelings arise and are relived - the "guitar" here being the vehicle which bring these back. The "guitar" once symbolized their time together, his passionate courting and their love shared. But now quite poignantly picking it up again open the floodgates to those emotions and the poet relives the moments now gone.

 

 

The only tiny niggle is : I wondered if you need "as if" here?:

 

 

his fingers sliding along its frets,

 

as if recalling the texture

of her skin.

 

 

As ever, this is only my opinion - for you to ignore if you're happy with your poem as it stands.

 

 

 

goldenlangur

[Aleksandra]

Joel this poem it is so wonderful and brings good and nostalgic feeling. The emotions here are simple but deep. I love this part:

 

His fingers never forget

the chords he played on the guitar,

nor the tunes he hummed with it.

 

And the end, ahh so emotional :

 

as if recalling the texture

of her skin.

 

Thank you for sharing this poem my friend

 

Aleksandra

[JoelJosol]

Thanks for your appreciation, Sandra.