OURS/LIFE

WHEN WE MET, OURS WAS HAPPY AND AS LIFE PROGRESSED

OURS WAS THE WATCHWORD.

WE WORKED TOGETHER

READ TOGETHER

LAUGHED, YES EVEN CRIED TOGETHER.

ALL THE WHILE, A QUIET SOMETHING

HAD AN ARM AROUND OUR SHOULDERS.

UNAWARE BUT AWARE

WE ACCEPTED THAT LIFE AS OURS BUT WAS IT?

WE WERE GIVEN THAT WORD TO FULFILL A VACUUM

WE DID NOT KNOW EXISTED

BUT AS WE AGED, THE VACUUM FILLED WITH

LOVE AND APPRECIATION

ONE FOR THE OTHER. BUT THAT BUBBLE BURST

AND OURS BECAME HIS AND HERS WITH AN EMPTY CHAIR IN THE SITTING ROOM.

NOW OURS IS ONLY EMPTY SHOES IN A CLOSET, A COLLECTION OF BALL CAPS

PENCILS IN A DESK DRAWER AND A GHOST WHO COMES TO VISIT ONCE IN A WHILE.

BUT OURS NEVER FADES, THE WORD IS STILL HERE.

Jane P. Neale

2010