that became him

Poem #141 from a series of poems drawn from the imagination and collected as: a Bachelard reverie.

Back to Bachelard and me – Introduction

---

his friend
said

it is the beret
F_
when I see the beret
I see you

when I see any beret
it is you I call to mind

he considered
yes
it is true
the beret and the man
F_
could be considered
as one

for he would not be seen
without it
jaunty
in its place
upon his head

yet
he cannot help
but remember
there was a time
when a beret
was an idea
of other people only

his first beret
was a stranger
a gift
and it was she
who was a special part
of the creature who knew himself
as F_

but over time
she has gone
the beret
has remained

until now
it is man plus beret
that equals the sum
of F_

without it
he is simply
not

---

© Frank Prem 2018

Bachelard and me Poem #142: the seed’s perception