Monday, July 9, 2012

Just a Life

The Wordle


SUNDAY WHIRL

JUST A LIFE

She was just one of the village housewives;
I was ignorant of her life.
She was someone who just kept house,
And, of course, she had been a wife.
And then she died........no children......
Her husband , too, was dead.
As there was no family 
I was called-in instead
To tidy -up the rambling house
And empty the drawers and more,
Though I was just the neighbour
Who happened to live next-door.
She'd always been so private,
Never one for a chat;
She seemed to spurn any intimacy,
And I allowed for that.
*
I entered her house as a stranger;
I left it as something more,
For I seemed to get to know her
Once I'd entered in her front door.
There was a much-marked calender,
With dates marked with a ring.......
The year, the months, the special days,
The fall, and then the spring.
The name Ian kept recurring
On little half-written notes;
'It seems an eternity, Ian'
Was one of the many quotes.
'Buy Christmas present for Ian'
And 'Ian's coming today',
'Ian's coming with his new wife'.......
Such things she would say.
There were jottings concerning her money;
Subtracting and adding amounts;
Dried orange rind and moth balls
Mixed-in with her accounts.
Among the figures that name again;
'Ian' .....that repetition.
I opened up an envelope;
I felt I had permission.
I found it was a birthday card;
The writing made me sad.....
'To Ian, my own darling boy;
The  son I never had.'
*
I entered her house as a stranger;
I left it as a friend.
We'd lived next-door for many years
And I met her in the end.
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
'
HELLO HAPPINESS!

Hello Happiness! And Goodbye!
Try to catch it and it will fly.
Try to pin it down and find
It has left you far behind
Fluttering above those distant trees,
Leaving memories that merely tease.
'Are you Happiness?' we say;
It hears the words and floats away.
A bird flies near and sweetly sings
Then disappears in a flash of wings.
Joy may clutch you by the heart,
But, straight away, it will depart.
Never question; never plead;
Enjoy, then smile and say 'God Speed!'
*

3 comments:

Maude Lynn said...

Your wordle is so creative!

Elizabeth said...

Loved your wordle and how you unfolded the story one small bit at a time. The ending made a circle of completion. Well penned,

Elizabeth

Jules said...

No life is 'Just a life' - an enchanted telling.

My fantasy is here:
http://julesgemsandstuff.blogspot.com/2012/07/sw-64-wordle-diamond-in-rough.html