Us, Years Later – Poem by Kimberly Madura + Interview
A fractured love remembered through tears, vodka, and time.
Kimberly Madura’s raw poem peels back the years on a love bruised by silence and memory. Followed by an intimate interview. Submit your story or poem to Written Tales.
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Up the broken steps, between the vodka and the tears, crying washed out the truths. We got lost somewhere between the past and the present. Somewhere between when those clear tears fell and the crystal vodka turned to red blood, was the trust you needed, was the truth I wanted.
In Conversation with Kimberly Madura: Us, Years Later Insights
Your poem "Us, Years Later" conjures a vivid atmosphere and emotional landscape. Could you discuss the setting and atmosphere you aimed to create in this poem, and what inspired this evocative tone?
This is a story about two people who are bonded by time and who have a history. They come together after a long period of time to reconnect and work through their complex relationship. They both are looking to give and get something from the other. Because there is the groundwork of a strong connection, they are able to do the work this particular night: drinking, talking, crying. They are able to unearth their emotions and transgressions and offer to each other their secrets and fears, and find forgiveness with each other. There is a backstory of the passage of time building up to this particular night when both characters in the story are so present and viscerally alive in this night, so aware of themselves, of each other, and of the bond between them.
This poem explores a complex emotional journey. Can you delve into the feelings and reflections that inspired the work and how they relate to the passage of time and personal experiences?
This story is based on a real-life experience, a poignant and hugely memorable night seared in my mind between myself and my beloved cousin. Living many miles apart, this was a night of reunion, years in the making, with stored-up emotion just waiting to explode, and of seeing that reunion realized. It was a night of deep connection through words, and indeed tears, after not seeing each other for several years. I was craving connecting with someone who I completely trusted, and she was in need of someone who would be completely honest with her. We both found what we were looking for; we found solace in each other this particular night. I believe this a relatable experience in that, are there not certain people, certain magical nights when a loved one's impact is so meaningful, so profound - that it stays with you, how loved, how understood, how seen you felt - when you look back it stays with you, it has imprinted on you, it comforts you. And because of the rarity of those experiences, there is a longing for those moments, which can also haunt you in their beauty.
Your poem uses concise, impactful language. What led you to choose this particular structure and style for "Us, Years Later," and how does it enhance the theme and message of the piece?
The memory of the specific event experience that I was trying to conjure was so pressurized in a specific moment, one night between two people, with a vast expanse of time both before and after the event. By paring the lines, I aimed to increase the intensity, crashing right into the climax of the experience while framing the beginning with an opening, an entry point - literal steps into a house, her house, the setting, a set apart, a specific place where the memory lives. The brokenness of the steps, literal broken steps, symbolizes how the relationship was broken up to that point. Then, the poem shows a struggle (blood), a bittersweet exploration between two people, leading to a satisfying resolution, bookmarked by a sense of nostalgia and longing.
What can your readers anticipate from your future poetic endeavors? Are there specific themes, subjects, or stylistic choices you plan to explore in your upcoming work, and how might they connect with "Us, Years Later”?
I am working on a series called "The Painting Poems" — selected famous and obscure paintings throughout the ages and what stories and secrets are hidden in the imagery. As in "Us, Years Later,” I am exploring the ideas of narrative and history. The stories that people carry have a provocative appeal to me.
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✍️ About the Authors
Kimberly Madura is currently a student at the University of Oxford, London. Prior to that, she had a career for over 20 years working in mental health. She has a book of poems and a move to Wyoming upcoming in 2024. She dedicated this poem to her cousin, Amanda Bender.
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