The Suitcase

Back then, we had a theory.

We thought that a suitcase

was easier to get into cars 

than a rucksack and thus,

drivers were more likely

to pick up hitchhikers 

with a small suitcase.

It worked like a dream

and it carried our dreams.

Yesterday 

I came across our old suitcase

buried in a heap of debris in my attic.

It was battered from it’s long journeys

and even longer vacation.

Its clothing was torn

exposing its cardboard credentials.

I haven’t opened it yet

so it’s unclear

if it’s still full 

or if it’s empty.

Once we packed it full

of our dreams, 

but now

I wonder

if any remain,

caught in the lining perhaps, 

or if they’ve all have been carried away

with our lost memories

or buried in the debris

of the past.

https://poetrywivenhoe.org/2026/05/day-1265-the-suitcase-white/