Poems
The Parting - in Dappled Shade
Haphazardly, like fluttering moths around a flame
and then, uncertain as a butterfly
whose slower style performs a gentler game,
the flickering light brought dancing patterns to my eye.
How softly it caressed the leaves bespeckled there,
responding to the rhythms breezes played,
where we, time-paused a casual hour to share
that Summer, sat neath garden trees in dappled shade.
Gave life to thoughts, meand'ring through our past's array
of joy and woe and wondering of life’s aim,
while all about, the world at urgent play
left us to reminisce the steps we overcame.
Accepting what we’d been had sadly now to end,
in spite of all, there reached the settled view
that what the Fates feel apt and so intend,
will be but new adventures and horizons new.
So much achieved. The distant view in retrospect
seemed more of joy when all our world was young
and though the past had left no disrespect
of riches balm, more worth in how our songs were sung.
The sojourn could not last, no more could we remain
for time had passed that never more would be;
those moments spent cannot be lived again,
but in the dappled shade of poignant memory.
by John Plumridge