Remnants

Margaret Zanardo

I lug it around
like some battered suitcase
not fully closed
overweight
bulging with hoarded maybe’s and memories
discarded scraps stuffed tight within
and those scraggly bits I can’t force inside
escaping from the edges

they’re the bits
left over from your love,
the bits I still can’t manage
to unpack and store away

Margaret Zanardo is a Sydney poet, writer and graphic designer. She has a background in languages, art and English literature.
In recent years she has tutored in high school English and creative writing, and also edited academic papers.

‘Remnants’ was written in late June 2021, as another Sydney Covid lockdown was looking inevitable. Many of us dipped temporarily
 into looking at life from a pessimistic viewpoint, as we adjusted to restrictions and worked at regaining a broader perspective.