Gentle haunting

Gentle haunting

Gentle Haunting

In the gentle increasing coolness
Of the early Spring evening,
Accompanied by the whisperings
Of a cool refreshing breeze,
I slowly walk around the small pond,
So serene,
It’s water like glass,
Reflecting the deep lightsome beauty of clouds
Ever gently flowing high above, over its smooth surface.

Haunted by happy memories,
Of events long past,
Laughter,
Boating,
Swimming with the ease of youth,
Now gone these many years,
Happily so, for life is better now.

I walk to the east side,
Where cement slabs protect its earthen boundaries,
Awaiting in silence my company.
Spotted a name written on one cement surface,
“Willie 1/5/91”
A man I knew,
Now dead for more than a few years,
Someone I miss when thoughts of him arise,
Another haunting memory,
Bitter sweet, for he was a kind, gentle, man.

I sit facing East,
The calm water disturbed by fish feeding,
Gentle ripples,
Beautiful,
Soon lost on the peace surface,
Fading slowly into oneness.
Clouds with pink alight from the sitting Sun,
Soon fad into dark grey
As the evenings darkness takes its turn,
In the endless cycle of nights and days.

As the darkness increases the silence changes,
Soon the geese start their talking
Sounding like the end of a long cocktail party,
Each sounding off but none listening,
Joined in with the bull frogs now seeking a mate,
Surrounded with natures busy, loud, exuberance,
Only adding to the sense of rightness of it all.
A small pond,
Yet powerful in its healing,
I am happy in the moment with my memories,
Yes in their gentle, bitter sweet haunting.