Returned to where I had once belonged
The landscape seemed very different
An emptiness was all I could sense
I tried to recall things as they had been
Time had stolen many details from me
I relied upon fragments of old memories
Gone was the immediate familial welcome
No warmth of hugs and overflowing smiles
There was only the sound of an eternal silence
The old house had gradually lost its heart
One by one, generations had moved away
This homestead no longer sang nor chattered
The hearthside was stone cold and deserted
Out-buildings held trappings from yesteryear
Undisturbed webs glistened in the sunlight
I moved onwards taking away that view…
Eileen T O’Neill 14th April 2021
