"Long Ago and Far Away"

Stranded on a doorstep
of memories
Reflections in flames
of voiceless yearning
deluge of a thousand oceans

Once a “wife”
a mother
a daughter and granddaughter
a sister
camaraderie of family
deep-rooted and blanketed

Family gathered
in the spirit of holidays
Joyful sounds and pretty paper
adorned the walls of “home”

The pages turned abruptly
the chapters soiled and empty
as if stolen by a thief
in the stillness of twilight

Flowers now placed at the tombstone
for those who gave me life
and the one I called “Mema”
the only grandparent I ever knew
who filled me with stories
lingering, still in my thoughts

Summer weakened
a marriage, silenced and muffled
diverted into haunting relics
of another epoch
concluded with a last breath

A brother and sister
scattered in places
I’ll never journey to
Children grown
paths of life leading
away from yesterday

In a trove of need...
I unwrapped a memory
emerging from the past
and heard the sounds
of my babies’ laughter
the voices of Mommy and Daddy
The words “I do”
as I became one with another
And felt the presence of God
where I stood as a child in reverence
as I sang “O Holy Night”
on Christmas in church
And the vision of Daddy
on every Christmas morn
watching his grandbabies
open presents
and his smile,
his beautiful warm smile
attached to a selfless heart

I’ll wrap the memories in
faded paper
and tuck them away
in a treasure box
tracing back to...
long ago and far away