- Spring’s rainy morning morphs into a steamy afternoon.
I walk the path alone, a lengthy stretch of road
That leads me to my dwelling’s door.
A modest shelter that I call ” A Home”.
- In the warm drizzle of a mild rain I witness lazy mist
It rises from the heated ground,
Than slowly creeps across the road and out of sight.
- A chestnut tree erect and straight,
Adorn with white-flowered cones, I
s pulling on my strings of heart.
It is a tree of long lost youth
And I’ve collected many of it’s precious seeds
From loving soil of my native land.
- With each few steps a curious robin runs
Than freezes on the edge of the path I travel.
He stands there like a statue and greats me with his stare.
His warm-red chest burns brightly in the sun
And yellow beak, framed by intense bright eyes
Points innocently and inquiringly
Perched on his head held high, turned slightly to one side.
And I can swear I hear him whispering the words:
“I wish you a safe journey and I’m watching over you!
I will protect you from all harm
And be your faithful companion on this road
At times when you feel lonely or unsure!”
- A Starling, striking black against green lushness of the grass
It’s beak locked tightly over lengthy worm
Recoiling desperately, trying to avoid
Becoming latest meal of tiny hunter.
Worm screws itself securely into ground,
Soon losing battle quickly disappears.
- A vain Magnolia Tree, it’s arms stretched out half-naked,
Stands proudly centered amongst it’s scattered petals,
Recent adornments worn as priceless gown
Sequenced with blossoms, now simply a reminder
Of brilliant, yet Oh so brief and fleeting beauty,
Forgotten splendor in the sea of past.
But her deep sadness may be brief and temporary
For, although fancy shroud of her youth now long gone,
A fresher, greener, more mature attire
Is now hastily woven for display and admiration.
- Like pure white rice that showers blushing bride
As she runs happily to carriage on her wedding day,
So Father Wind and Mother Pear-Tree
Shower me with tiny floating petals as I walk.
They glisten in the rays of sunshine through the rainy mist
Like perfect snowflakes… Light, pure, white…
- Today I spent few precious hours reveling in the past
Basking in love of a life-long friend
Not seen for ages, yet always dearly loved.
As we both journeyed down nostalgic path of youth,
Of memories long lost and painfully forgotten,
Each one got fueled by gifted words of other,
A validation that we both were here,
Had life, had fun, had craziness, had value,
Left our mark and our legacy to World!
We both made difference and fought against the odds
And tho in business of lives we lost our sight and felt forgotten,
Rejuvenated now by rememberings of another
We take them home, along with others love and validation.
- And as I listen to my footsteps echoing against the humid day
A thought keeps running in my tired mind:
“Perhaps my life was not as extraordinary as some
In a larger scheme of things,
Never-the-less I lived!
And that I lived was witnessed by another!”
- And like the footprints etched into this road I walk on,
So are my footprints etched into the history of life!
MilanaVinokur
May 22, 2011