Ashes to Ashes

Dear friend,

It's my pleasure to introduce you to my poem, Ashes to Ashes. As you read it, you will understand that the poem is an introspective and melancholic piece that explores the themes of mortality, loss, and the transience of life and love. The core meaning of the poem revolves around the idea that everything in life, including love and human existence, is ultimately reduced to nothingness, symbolized by ashes.

I hope the poem helps you change your vision of life and become grateful for what you have, dismissing those regrets that hinder your present life's enjoyment.

Ashes to Ashes

A poem by Sal Godoij

I came to visit you at the chapel, and you were there.

I imagined you were there, it's what I mean.

I moved through the whispers, the condolences, the handshakes

And reached the altar, and there you were

Under the sombre glow of candles, in that urn.

Your ashes, I mean, and nothing else, nothing at all

Ashes that not long ago were you, laughing and hoping

Laughing and hoping that everything would be okay.

Alas! Ashes to ashes is the supreme command

And you followed it to the letter.

So is life, ashes and nothing else, nothing at all

For even love is ashes, you knew that well.

Where there was love, ashes remain

That's how the saying goes.

So you, not you, but your ashes in that urn

Were memories of love, love that once burned

Burned memories that the wind will disperse

As time goes by, as time goes on

Ashes in the wind, and nothing else, nothing at all.

Analysis of the poem Ashes to Ashes by Sal Godoij done by ChatGPT

The poem "Ashes to Ashes" by Sal Godoij is an introspective and melancholic piece that explores the themes of mortality, loss, and the transience of life and love. The core meaning of the poem revolves around the idea that everything in life, including love and human existence, is ultimately reduced to nothingness, symbolized by ashes.

The poem begins with the speaker visiting a chapel, where they imagine the presence of a loved one who has passed away. The use of the urn and ashes as a symbol of the deceased serves as a stark reminder of the reality of death. The speaker reflects on how the ashes, once a living being, are now nothing more than a remnant of what once was.

The poem highlights the impermanence of love and relationships, suggesting that even the strongest bonds are subject to the inevitability of decay and disappearance. The line "For even love is ashes, you knew that well" drives home the idea that love, like everything else, is fleeting and will eventually turn to dust.

The repetition of the phrase "ashes to ashes" becomes a mantra, emphasizing the cyclical nature of life and death. The poem also touches on the idea that memories are subject to the erosive power of time, and that even the most cherished recollections will eventually fade away like ashes in the wind.

The poem's significance lies in its unflinching exploration of the human condition, confronting the reader with the harsh realities of mortality and the transience of life. The poem invites the reader to contemplate the fleeting nature of human existence and the impermanence of love and relationships, encouraging a deeper appreciation for the present moment and the fragility of life.

Overall, "Ashes to Ashes" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that lingers in the mind long after reading, leaving the reader to ponder the profound and universal themes that it so eloquently expresses.