The Stilled Nest
Then the silence replaces the
sounds of my children
Where chatter, laughter and gossip
played off familiar walls,
the paint rests
Before came sleepless nights,
anticipation, planning and panic
Days marked off on the calendar passed like
growth of a fingernail
Then the charge
airport, cars in the driveway
baggage and quick gossip,
a beer grabbed and more family news
Long planned meals start at once.
Raves about the ordinary fare
familiar becomes great
Crescendo the halls ring
old friends, telephone calls
Look who is here, you remember
Dave from my forth grade class?
What are you going to wear tonight?
Did you have a good time? Who did you see?
High tide of the visit
And then
Be sure to pack the left over beer.
What time does your plane leave?
Drive carefully with the holiday traffic.
They leave like the tide.
behind are the shells
and seaweed left.
Beer cans, coke bottles ,
a forgotten camera and hair clip,
the telephone book open on the kitchen counter.
The beds newly made,
the garbage and recycle hauled
Trash cans mostly nearly empty overflowing.
The retreating tide has left it high water mark.
Silence a crescendo
from memory less walls
Doug Minnis
January 12,2009