amongst the ordinary
high heels, sandals, winter boots
wool, silk, soft denim
are bits of life
soft green blanket, a ghost of its former self
worn thin by sweet baby hands grasping, holding, loving
Purple Barney,who brought unbridled joy one Christmas morning
never to be equalled in years to come
Kindergarden book bags ... one for each child
filled with mementos of school days gone by ....
construction paper creations, report cards, glowing notes from favored teachers
These bits of life
Keepsakes that at one time held places of prominence in our home, a bed, a shelf, the refrigerator door
now reside high up on a closet shelf, tucked away
but not forgotten
melancholy days come to call .....
I pull out the step ladder and one by one
I sift through these bits of life
reminiscing of days long past
afternoons tucking a soft green blanket around a sleeping beauty
whisking barney away for a quick cleaning while a little boy sleeps unaware
checking book bags for forgotten permission slips and teacher notes
Sometimes these tokens bring tears, a longing to return to simpler days
But mostly they bring warmth and a smile
a smile at a life lived full
