
BY THE SEA from the series OLD LACE 6"X 8" acrylic on canvas on masonite.
OLD LACE
I found a tin box beginning to rust,
On the floor in the attic covered in dust.
Wrapped in yellowing tissue, carefully tied with a bow,
With a dried and brown flower that had lost it’s glow.
I presented the box to grandma that day
Sure she would have a tale to convey.
She said the hibiscus was a beautiful red,
And for a while nothing more was said.
……………………………………………………..
“The smell of Hibiscus filled the air,
A red one he picked and tucked in my hair”.
Then with trembling hands, as if to retrace,
The box gently opened to reveal the old lace.
On a bed of white seashells, it carefully lay,
The look in her eyes was quite far away.
“This lace trimmed the blue dress that I wore,
The night we walked side by side at the seashore.”
“We took off our shoes and danced in the sand,
To the far off sound of the pavillion band.”
“With fragments of seashells, he found in the surf,
He spelled out “I love you”, upon mother earth.”
“One of my shoes was washed out to sea,
And that shoe was never returned to me.”
“I should have known , that it was a sign,”
With that,… cold chills ran down my spine.
“The dress was quite lovely trimmed with this lace,”
As a tear ran down the lines in her face.
“Still wearing that dress we kissed our goodbyes,
As he gently wiped the tears from my eyes.”
“I watched as his ship sailed out to sea,
Not knowing he’d never come home to me.”
……………………………………………………………..
“You look a lot like him”, her hand brushing my face,
“If you’d like it, you are welcome to keep the old lace.”
This is beautiful and so enjoyed the poem.
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