Friday, May 28, 2010

The Things That Are Lost

Tragedy struck us last night. Thieves stole through the darkness and broke into our car (broke perhaps isn’t the right word since I left it unlocked) and took my purse and brand new GPS.

Things they did not take:

Box of Gobstoppers.
Spiderman bouncy ball.
Baseballs.
The horse blanket my sister brought me back from Guatemala.
Change in the ashtray.
One white jellybean stuck under the driver’s seat.
Water bottle.
My Cher’s Greatest Hits CD.

Things in my purse:

My new camera. (The replacement camera for my last stolen camera.)
My wallet with license and debit card.
A pair of Ella’s socks.
$15.00.
A Spiderman action figure.
My Wegmans Shopper’s Club Card.
My Subway Rewards Card (two more ‘til a free sub.)

Ella’s heart.

I am full of the anger.

Between the GPS, the camera, the fees for a new license, and the $15.00, we are out a good $300.00.

I’m feeling very, very sorry for myself. And guilty. I left my purse in the car. I left the doors unlocked. Apparently, our strange visitor visited 30 others houses in our neighborhood last night. The police stopped by and took my statement, detailing the things I had lost. The serial number to the GPS. The canvas texture of my green Fossil purse. The pictures of Ben grinning on his brand new bike. Me kissing his cheeks.

Ella’s heart.

The Stolen Camera

Since the camera was stolen,
everything is a photograph –
pink bloom against white stucco,
serious face of the potato chip man
leaning over his cart.

In the square, gypsies with brilliant skirts
twirl among palm trees.
I reach for the camera, to hand it to you,
but it is gone, stolen by a thief
who knows nothing of lenses.

Are you thinking of the camera?
I ask you once,
and you nod.
You will not mention it.

Two days ago you caught
the shrivelled saint who kissed your hand,
the twins of Bougainvillea laughing
in their windowsill.
Your camera had careful eyes,
and now the pictures are stolen inside it,
babies who will never be born.

How would I feel if they stole my pens?
My lips would go on making words,
when I crossed the dappled street,
words everywhere, steps
or yellow leaves.

Today we pass the monastery silently.
maybe we are soaking up light,
brief angles of sun on stone.
Mabe tonight when we sleep
all we have seen will arrange itself
inside us, quick trails of stars,
and we will wake glowing,
the world in our eyes.

Popayan, Colombia

~ Naomi Shihab Nye, from Words Under the Words

12 comments:

MGBR said...

Ugh -- terrible! This will *not* help the malaise.

Toaster said...

So sorry to hear this; theft can feel like such a violation, and some of the things we lose are irreplaceable. :(

Anonymous said...

Probably some spoiled suburban kids feeling all emo and such.

Check the area pawn shops for your GPS.

Anonymous said...

Aww.... so sorry that happened. You write about it so poignantly!

Peter said...

So sorry Holly- I feel it is like the Geo all over again :(

Debbie said...

I'm so sorry to hear that Holly. What is wrong with some people? I will never understand the need to take something from another. I hope they catch whoever did it.

Elizabeth said...

Oh Holly I'm so sorry hat happened to you. It is truly one of the worst things to happen when someone steels something that belongs to you. Such a violation.

Anonymous said...

What an awful thing to have happened... I hope that the guy/girl gets caught.

Jessica said...

I'm so sorry this happened to you. I hope that the police are able to find whoever did this!

I found your blog through the MBC follow me club. I am now following!

I am new at this blogging thing and am in need of new followers, so please follow me as well.

You can find me at:
http://mommyhoodnextright.blogspot.com

Thanks,
Jessica a.k.a. Nya's mom

Traci Michele said...

I'm so sorry... I'm including this in my Favorite Friday Finds... not because I'm glad your car got broken into, but because you chose to write about it so beautifully! :-) Hugs to you.

Traci Michele said...

PS I tried grabbing your button, but it doesn't seem to want to work.

Perhaps, the thieves, stole your html code too?

www.kiboomu.com said...

Oh Dear! I am so sorry for your loss (both of the wallet and your heart!)

This happened to me too (left door open - stole a broken GPS and 2 doggy carriers!)...but it was the invasion that hurt...

I almost feel guilty writing this next sentence....however......
I've been very busy with my social networking lately!

Which brings me to the reason for this post:

I am really very sorry that this is a form letter :(

However we spent days following everyone on the Simply Follow list from the Mom Bloggers Club, and out of 690 people, maybe only 10 followed us :(

I don’t know if you joined our blog or not, but if you have a moment, could you PLEASE go over to http://www.kiboomu.blogspot.com and give us a quick follow?

Again, sorry for this form letter, but I am going to to back to ALL 690+ people that we followed and leaving this note. Hopefully we will get a super great turnout now!

BTW I LOVE YOUR BLOG!!

XOXOXO
Wendy