From the newborn babe I had the privilege to hold
To the couple who are each a century old
And the cemetery soon to come
The clock ticks ‘til our life is done
From the uncle I only recently met
To his aged parents that owe him in gratitude a debt
And the schoolwork that pressures me to waste every precious minute
The state of Rhode Island, where my mother’s history fades in time
From the clams I helped my uncle collect
To the butter and the skillet,
I’ve never tasted anything so reminiscent of family
And revealed to me the scars that never fade so slowly
This family I only just discovered, and almost too late
From the dozens of height markings on the wall
To the old man who took a fall
And the cruel seconds that tick away at the thread
The Sword of Damocles hangs over us all
I’ll always cherish my Rhode Island visit,
I’ve never had others I can call family before
I hope I will see them again
But it’s only a matter of time
Either here or in Heaven
9/11/2014
*image credit goes to https://www.flickr.com/photos/bfishadow/ and no changes were made
This is beautiful Cameron, and is so reminiscent of our wonderful visit to my home town. I will cherish these memories also. Your poem has frozen it in time. Mommy
LikeLike