Precious Fragile Fleeting

By ExoticHippieQueen © 2012

This house

cold and still

pallid tomb of then

and what had been

sweet essence of a life

trapped in the vapors that rise up

from the boards.

This house

Once proud and grand

fresh paint

a new roof

bullet-proof

Wendy & Peter Pan

in

Never Never Land

Such pleasure to behold.

Bright and bold.

Then.

The risings of the sun blessed each room

crystal windowpanes protection

from falling snow

the pouring rain

the lightning's glow.

Love and triumphs

losses and battles

all followed head to tail

on a zipline trail

In this house.......................

I Felt

the moon's touch here reach through the skylight above our bed

and caress us with its silver beams heard his hushed whispers of love's

deepest moments felt the rush of excitement as he pressed against me

in the still of the night.

I lived my dreams.

I Wept

as our baby's newborn cries filled the rooms of my heart

right here on our bed I recall what you said how perfect

this moment we wept on his head.

I Saw

my sick child damp and flushed here turning feverishly under the

quilt my grandmother made with her own hands so quick and strong

she's been gone so long.

I Heard

my mother's laugh as ice tinkled in her glass

our family picnic on the blanket of grass

here under the cool of the

weeping willow in summer afternoon's searing heat

I used her lap as a pillow.

I Tasted

beefsteak tomatoes so big and warmed red by the sun

plucked fresh from my garden here burst inside my mouth's first bite

and thrill me with the pleasure trickling down my arm delight.

I Watched

our beloved dog grow here an entire lifespan from clumsy puppy

to loyal adult

to her limping end death all in a minute

somehow an insult.

I Inhaled

the pungent fragrance of spring's sweet Lily of the Valley

and lush blooms of pale pink peonies here

precious fragile fleeting

the ants crawling through the petals' folds

in a morning dew greeting.

And later..........in this house,

I Grieved

the loss of a love here so deep

so crushed for what had been

that my heart was never able to love again.

I Traveled

from an ordinary quiet moment to an achingly tender one

as I gazed at my granddaughter our eyes held hands then

spanned the decades that separated us we met in

mutual understanding

unspoken

a bond unbroken

of our places on the timeline of love and life.

I Understood

in the end

the beauty of the seasons and all of the reasons

for winter to love spring

and summer's farewell to fall

the rhythm of it all.

This house

my mortal flesh

the two are one

one and the same

it calls my name

end of the game.