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The Eclectic Pen - Of Babies, Bluebirds, and Boons: To Empty Nesters Everywhere

By: Gale B. (tangolady)   + 5 more  
Date Submitted: 8/6/2008
Genre: Literature & Fiction » Poetry
Words: 346
Rating:

Of Babies, Bluebirds, and Boons: To Empty Nesters Everywhere She wondered what she'd do to while away the time When all the children went their separate ways, When Ed, the eldest, narrowed his blue eyes And smiled in some strange woman's arms and heart; When Abel, strong, the rock she leaned upon, Would stride in easy lope on unmapped roads, When wild Penelope set sail for foreign soil, And Colleen, noisy hoyden, took the veil. On the first day she found herself alone, She woke at four and fretted for an hour And punched her linen pillow listlessly, Then finally rose to meet the cruelty of Her empty, ordered, polished life. She trailed her fingers on the bannister But found no single grain of grit or dust, Entered the kitchen, clean, austerely bare. No careless apple peel was lying there Nor peanut butter opened, lid ajar, No glasses rimmed with milk upon the drain, Just dullness, pristine, dozing quietly. She set the scoured coffee pot to heat; Her head bent low, she mused a little while; Then, stretching tall to reach the topmost shelf, She grasped a graceful, shell-thin cup, embossed With blossoms, gilt, and scrolls--a saucer, too, Abloom with dust, sans signs of frequent use. And next she opened up a teakwood box With velvet trimmed and lifted out a spoon, A silver spoon of heavy weight, well-carved, Alone, adorning bright its fragrant bed. She then placed all, so carefully, on lace Laid sweetly on a tray of cloisonne. The coffee perked; she filled the cup and carried Tray and all; then, hesitating once Beside the painted, well-worn deal table, She left it bare but paused to turn the dial On Penny's stereo, bypassed hard rock And soul and country twang, and then she stopped To hear the peal of Bach's pure crystal notes. She set her feet upon the tree-graced porch And slowly paced, as ladies promenade, To where a chaise lounge wrapped in wicker Waited, then sat amused to see a bluebird Burst in flight, uncaring of its empty Nest; she next surveyed the quiet reaches Of her realm: the wafting scent of apple blooms; The airy breeze; the wind chimes' twinkling tunes. She propped her feet upon the rosy chintz And sipped her coffee thoughtfully awhile. Then, slowly, on her face there crept a smile.

The Eclectic Pen » All Stories by Gale B. (tangolady)

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