She left the scarf on the bench. It wasn’t forgotten or lost—it was folded neatly, placed with intention. The color was deep burgundy, the kind that holds warmth even when the air turns sharp. It looked soft, worn just enough to suggest comfort without carelessness.
It was his. Something he’d once wrapped around her neck to shield her from the cold. She’d kept it—not because he asked her to, but because it reminded her of him. It kept a piece of him close, even when everything else felt far away. That was their rhythm—unspoken exchanges, held in small things.
He saw it as he passed. He didn’t recognize it at first, but something about it stopped him. The texture, the way it hung—familiar in a way that made him ache. It was hers now, but it had started with him.
The wind lifted one corner of the fabric. He didn’t reach for it. He didn’t need to. Some things are meant to be left where they were last felt. He didn’t stay. The bench had already held what it needed to.
There was still a trace of her in the weave—a faint scent, caught in the fibers. Not perfume, not anything deliberate. Just her. It wasn’t really about the scarf. It was about the moment it marked—the last time she sat there, leaving something behind that had once belonged to him. A message, unmistakable in its meaning.
(This is my contribution to NVS9 October 2025. Autumn Antics)
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18 comments
Words are insufficient for some memories and the very deep personal meaning they hold. I was given a set of cufflinks 60 yrs ago by my first love. It seems symbolic that one of the cufflinks was lost many years ago but the one remaining, replays the tenderness of what once was whenever I hold it.
@Surprised36 Thank you for sharing this beautiful memory. That single cufflink holds time, tenderness, and the ache of something once whole. I’m moved by how it continues to speak to you, just as the scarf did in my piece. Sometimes what remains isn’t just a thing—it’s a feeling, still alive in our hands.
I love this
Very poignant and sweet.
Hugs!
@PonyGirl1965 Thanks, Pony. I’m glad it landed with you.
At first I thought it was about someone who dies until I read further. But in a way I'm not wrong by leaving the scarf on the bench it's saying good by thank you for the memories but it's time to move on. Question, have you ever thought about writing a book? The way you write is so very beautiful I think what you write could be published.
@MrRareity Thank you for reading so closely. You’re right—the scarf is a kind of farewell, a quiet gesture of release. I’m glad that came through.
Not sure a book is the right choice but I am looking at other options.
@MrGreyAnatomy I appreciate the suggestions. I am not really interested in writing short stories, but I am setting up something else.
A scarf marking the end. Fallen like Autumn leaves.
@superbjversion2 Yes… fallen like Autumn leaves—quiet, inevitable, and filled with significance. That scarf held more than warmth.
This made me think of the picnic table/bench at a park where my ex and I sat to sign and finalize our divorce papers. That picnic table is like any other wooden table, but for me it held a heavier weight in significance.
It was some time in Sept/October.
I look back with bittersweet feelings.
@resant78 Some tables hold meals, others hold memories. Yours held a goodbye—and the quiet beginning of something new. Bittersweet sounds exactly right.
😃 😊
This is a very nice contribution to the symposium. I hope your Friday is a fun start to your weekend..
@Tmptrzz Thank you —I’m glad it resonated with you. It felt important to contribute something honest and grounded.
Hope your weekend is off to a gentle start too. 😊
Well written. Really captured the essence in your words.
@anmlmn Thank you. I’m curious what “essence” came through most clearly for you? Always interesting to hear what lands with different readers.
@sexyldy1000 it's the heart strings that tug even though you know they are over and done .
@anmlmn Thank you for sharing that. I think those lingering heartstrings are where the real stories live.
Quite an awesome piece of writing.
@CleavageFan4U Thank you. Was there a particular part or theme that stood out to you? Always curious what resonates most.
@sexyldy1000 What resonated with me personally was the concept of the garment retaining her scent. Likely this is because a lady I was seeing for quite some time once gave me a shirt to sleep in when we were together so she could wear it, and have the scent of me, when we were apart.
@CleavageFan4U That’s such a tender memory—thank you for sharing it. There’s something quietly powerful about scent, isn’t there? I love how his natural scent lingers and envelopes me… holds him close until next time.
You write well. I'm struggling to get inspired.
@spunkycumfun Inspiration ebbs and flows, doesn’t it? Sometimes all it takes is a single image or phrase to stir something loose. I’ve been branching out a bit—exploring new spaces to share my work with a more responsive audience.