There is a room at the end of the hall
filled with the things we leave behind
lying like dried leaves in fall
familiar as a nursery rhyme
On the shelves are dusty globes
made of glass and full of snow
each holds a dream, now dusty and cold
which once did glitter like riches untold
Below them musty volumes sit
filled with every joy and wish
written in a childish hand
stories tell of foreign lands
Pure joy,
so good, so wonderful
just the memory makes my heart soar
I can still feel the wind
as cold as the snow
and the ice all around us
as it rushed through my hair
as I spun around, twirling,
my mind spinning, whirling
reveling in the new revelation
And the yellow light, spilling
from the windows and doors
and the darkness that glittered
with crystal stars up above
Just the sound of laughter,
and the sight of a smile
makes my soul lift even higher
Running, and spinning,
I shall miss your utter stupidity,
even though it used to annoy,
I shall miss you living under my bed,
even though you chewed up my toys
You made me feel safe,
and hid during thunder,
You jumped on my bed,
and messed up my covers
You smelled and you shed,
you barked constantly,
you tore up the carpet,
(who cares, it was ugly)
You were a nanny,
a wolf, and a babysitter,
a reindeer, a horse--
(a real derby winner)
The lights that blink,
the rides that whir,
smells and sounds
become a blur
the music from the carousel,
the crowds meandering by,
the wagon wheels rolling along,
the ferris wheel so high
buttered corn and lemonade,
sugary funnel cake,
the laughter and the joy all round,
and trailing in your wake
spinning, soaring,
falling, turning,
up and down and round and round,
for this my soul's been yearning
Stand at the doorway--
("wait your turn!")
Poised to run--
("Look out!")
Dashing off,
headlong down the hall--
("here I go!")
One giant leap,
arms outstretched to each side,
eyes closed,
Whump!
Open your eyes,
("I did it, see?")
Hop off the chair again,
("Now you try")
And scurry back down the hall,
to continue to practice
this very important skill.
Then Mom comes in,
("just be careful...")
and says, if you don't break the couch,
or any of your bones,
One of my first songs ever. I started to write a poem, and the music started playing in my head, so call it lyrical poetry or call it a song, here it is. Dedicated to my old family.
I'm lookin' into those glassy eyes
of my family in that photograph
from a few years back.
The picture's worn and nearly black,
but I can still see our faces,
smiling as the camera flashed.
And I wonder when,
when we all grew up.
you came running
over the green fields you came running to meet me
you took my heart by surprise
you came dancing
wildflowers and windswept trees, smiling out loud
you took my hand and spun me
you came singing
echoes in the ruins of a majesty at once ancient and undying
you took my breath away
and somewhere
somewhere back in your dark, wet earth
somewhere between the cows dappling the hillside
somewhere in the laugh of the creek through Kilfree
somewhere down the winding one-lane road
This is a picture of the baby broiler chicks I raised in 2003. It's early January, and the temperature outside the coop is probably in the mid-30s, so they've nestled together under the heat of a brooder lamp to stay toasty warm. I like this picture for how content and peaceful the birds look.