LEGACY
by Jane Murphy
The long year has ended. The time was expended. The flowers were lovely, the music divine, The comforts inviting, amusements exciting, And fearsome adventures all ended just fine. The season has ended. The harvest was splendid! Together we labored and coaxed it to grow. Not all that was seeded, but all that we needed Is safely preserved in our cellars below. We won’t be using those tools for a while. It’s time now for resting and wintertime things. We blessed them and put them away with a smile. They’ll be used again in the spring. Our festival’s ended. It was well attended, With fabulous feasting and stories to share. We barely were able to rise from the table When we had consumed our rich holiday fare. The guests all departed, I dutifully started To pick up the platters and clear the remains. Standing alone with a plate full of bones, A collection of seeds and some tablecloth stains. Those seeds won’t be sprouting new shoots for a while, But they carry life, a new harvest to bring. I blessed them and stored them away with a smile, And they can be sown in the spring. In youth I depended on family, who tended To all that they then understood of my needs. They said I was green, and remembering the scene, I was pretty much like the insides of those seeds. I outgrew their shell, their protection as well, To claim independence and stand on my own. The price of that gain was my right to complain, And the errors I’ve made are mine and mine alone. I’ve overseen my own life for a while. I’ve borne my own burdens and “done my own thing”. But soon I’ll relinquish control with a smile, And rejoin the green in the spring. My youth long since ended, I’ve too long pretended I’ll use all the stuff I’ve been keeping for years. I had a profession that led to possession Of books and supplies for my former career. There are several pastimes I’ve done for the last time. Although they brought pleasure in seasons of yore, If I’ve lost the will or the physical skill, They’re just burdens that can’t bring me joy anymore. I’ve much that’s not going to be used for a while, For winter restricts our involvement in things. I’ve blessed them and stored them away with a smile, For someone in summer or spring. The short day has ended and can’t be extended. The clock’s striking midnight from high in its nook. The embers still glow, but the candle burns low, So I’ll finish this poem and close up this book. I’ve striven my best to share fruits of my quest, With a hope to amuse or perhaps to inspire. Now snow’s softly falling and sweet dreams are calling. It’s time to extinguish this light and retire. One day I know I’ll be gone for a while, Hoping my treasures some goodness will bring. Then bless me and bid me farewell with a smile, And I’ll see you all in the spring.
