Trees
At one point, the narrator compares two lovers with two trees, growing from the same root but then drifting apart as they grow more and more. The tree is an important symbol because it represents life. What the author wants to suggest through this symbol is the idea that while we may have the same roots and the same starting point, at various times in our lives we drift apart and become estranged from those who used to be close to us.
Light
The author mentions the light every tree grows towards to. The light is another symbol used here that stands for a common goal in life, something every human being strives to achieve. Thus, the light here could be used to symbolize happiness or the idea of love.
The father's arms
The narrator mentions her father’s arms, both in relation to her mother and herself. The arms are an important element here because they are also symbolic. Because the arms are connected with the father figure, they represent protection. What the author suggests here is that the father in her life was a protector both for her and for her mother.
Becoming the bad memory
An important motif found in the poem is the idea that the author is affected by her past. He is affected in such a way that she agrees that she is slowly becoming the embodiment of every bad memory and experience from her past. This idea is presented as being a common motif in the poem.
Nothing is what it seems
Another motif found in the poem is the idea that nothing is as it seems. The author talks about positive things that happened in her life and then she mentions other memories, not so happy that are linked with those memories. This proves that in most cases, nothing is as forward and as simple as it may seem at a first glance and that there is always a hidden aspect hidden in plain sight, waiting to be discovered.
