Saudade

.Prompts for the Promptless – Ep. 10 – Saudade

Saudade is a Portuguese word that describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for an absent something/someone that one loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing will never return.

Saudade was once described as “the love that remains” after someone is gone. Saudade is the recollection of feelings, experiences, places, or events that once brought excitement, pleasure, and well-being, which now triggers the senses and makes one live again. It can be described as an emptiness, like someone (e.g., one’s children, parents, sibling, grandparents, friends, pets) or something (e.g., places, things one used to do in childhood, or other activities performed in the past) that should be there in a particular moment is missing, and the individual feels this absence. It brings sad and happy feelings all together, sadness for missing, and happiness for having experienced the feeling.

                                                           Father

My father expired when I was 20 years old, just out of my college after my graduation. A few things he said I always remember, he was witty, humorous, and fun-loving. He could not stand silence, he will always turn on the radio. He never said a harsh word to my mother and his children. Here is my little poem for him,

Father said,

get up your lazy bones,

Birds are out of the Nest,

Chirping, Jumping on the Branches.

Getting up late is an unhealthy Habit

Do some exercise or play,

I never listened and slept.

Father said,

only dreaming and playing,

will take you nowhere,

Study hard and get some knowledge.

Knowledge is power

knowledge will get you connected with all.

I paused and

to play, I left.

Now, the father is no more,

My life is in Shamble,

My bones all grumble,

All those teachings of my father,

I remembered and wept.