matthew hollett - oughtful

poems, photographs, prose
by matthew

november 18, 2006 (edited november 19, 2006) · tags: poetry

notes to self (how not to forget)

tie a brightly-coloured string tightly around your finger.
write it in capital letters on your hand. or your forehead.
mark a large circle in orange pylons.
lash it to an obtrusively long piece of plastic or wood.
carve with a penknife into the bark of a tree.
walk in snow or in mud, so your footprints will be visible.
tell everyone you meet.
install it in a small sealed bell jar, with water and tiny iridescent confetti. shake gently.
chip off a small piece and keep it with you, always.
urinate along the boundaries.
legally change your name to something that rhymes with it.
keep a poster-sized photograph folded in your wallet.
choose something memorable, such as your birthday or your mother's maiden name.
mint a commemorative coin.
make a note of nearby landmarks.
retrieve the black box from the wreckage. declare a day of mourning.
paint it bright pink, festoon it with balloons, and place it in the middle of the living room.
fall asleep with it roaring like a well-fed campfire in your head.
holding it at arm's length with a ridiculous grin on your face, have someone else take a photograph from a short distance away.
collect the autographs of all participants.
having taken careful measurements, build a scale model out of matchsticks and glue.
never wash out the stains.
leave a trail of breadcrumbs behind you.
without moving from the position in which you awaken, write everything down.
plant a maple sapling in the exact location.
on every anniversary send flowers, a card, and a large stuffed animal.
have your entire neighborhood install signs on their lawns.
touch nothing. cordon off the area and trace an outline in chalk. wear gloves.
build a shrine, a church, a memorial, a museum, a mausoleum, a cairn of stones.
make it a habit. make eye contact. make a list.