by Michael Groetsch

Walking across the porch of the summer cottage

Where I once sat with you as a child,

I am nurtured by the sounds of late evening.

Crickets celebrate the return of night,

While distant church bells bring a reminder

That this day is about to end.

The whistling sound of a nearby train

Captures my heightened spirit,

As I willingly travel back into time

When we shared such sounds of sunset.

 

My mind’s eye suddenly

Projects black and white images

Of us sitting together on the porch’s swing,

Embracing our sense of oneness.

I see us gathering small seashells on the sandy shore

While seagulls soar high in flight,

Speaking in language only they understand.

I see us eating ice cream at the sweet shop

Where families seek refuge from life’s hurried pace.

I see us walking barefoot in the grass

While crisp autumn leaves speak in crackling sounds.

 

As I sit alone on the porch this day,

My heart is softly seduced by a moment in time

When you and I shared the love of Mother and Son.

Crickets still celebrate the return of this night,

While church bells and the sound of the evening train

Echo a reminder that the day is about to end,

So I can embrace sweet memories of you.