Prose Header

Time Capsule

by Celine Rose Mariotti

They lived long ago,
but a part of them was saved,
left behind
for humankind.
It’s there, inside
the Time Capsule,
a bit of a roll-call.

What did Dominic or Tony
leave behind?
A photo, a letter, a notebook
lined with daily accounts
for all of time.
It’s there inside the Time Capsule,
A bit of a roll-call.

What did Peter or Helen or Adolph
leave behind?
It’s tucked inside:
a drawing, a tool kit,
a ruler, a slide, a diary,
a letter, a photo, knitting needles,
all bits of life as it was.
Time flies, it does.
It’s there inside the Time Capsule,
a bit of a roll-call.

What did Frank and Assunta,
contribute as keepsakes?
A ravioli maker,
an espresso coffee pot,
like the ones they made
in the 1950’s.
A bottle of Grandpa’s Vermouth,
a picture of Uncle Dominic in
his soldier’s uniform,
a picture of Nonie when she was
a young girl back in Italy.
These are the special mementoes
to keep in that Time Capsule,

One day, 100 years ago from today,
people will open these Time Capsules,
and what we all left behind
in years gone by
will reach the folks
who live in the future.
And they, too, will
leave a Time Capsule behind.

Somewhere in Time,
all the souls meet,
and what we leave behind
on Earth
travels with us
to the Great Beyond.

And somehow on Earth,
they dig up a treasure,
they find a Time Capsule,
and all we left behind.


Copyright © 2022 by Celine Rose Mariotti

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