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                                   To the Children, Wherever They Are

 

 

                         Dawn ruffles the newspaper

                         Coffee brews a golden anniversary

                         We nibble on toast

                         Separated by a common morning

                         Wedding bells jingle from the camphor tree

 

 

                         Come for a short stay, my dears

                         Accommodations are limited

                         Too many ghosts live here

                         Bring your memories

                         Remnants of small crises, bitter sweet

                         Forgive the faded curtains

                         Survival decorates our living room

                         With years of faint regret

                         Come on Sunday

                         The demons are at rest

                         Guilt is stored with the linens

 

 

                         Shore birds scream a requiem

                         Obituaries drape our cereal

                         Separated by a common morning

                         A thousand miles apart

 

 

 

                                                        Jack Mashman

                                                        1986