For my Dad on Father’s Day~and Always

It’s not that I will never forget; I forever remember.

“On freshly mown grass”

I lay on my back on freshly mown grass
for a moment to savor Sun’s setting foray
marking sibilant silence of approaching night;
no white noise encroaches my space to blight;
I give thanks for the gift of this one spent day
lyrical, not harsh, with but Nature’s own delight.

I wait for the silence to speak of times past
before venturing at last into Morpheus’ domain;
I listen for their music and watch for the lights
of crickets and fireflies commencing their repast
beneath moonlit skies, breeze kissed maple limbs sway,
each movement and breath plying Earth’s delight,
present and past in my mind blend and twist…

We lay on our backs on freshly mown grass,
he listens to my dream of being star bound someday
his eyes reflect moonlight, his words encourage my flight;
‘work hard if you believe and dreams do come to pass’;
believing, I weave him our story right away
of space bound adventurers on plumes of starlight.

I smile, memory for a moment recast,
I hum with cicadas, watch shooting stars at play;
whispers of fireflies give memories real might;
I believe for a moment that hope once so vast
lives on as I write down the story I cast;
dreams kept safe by one caring heart’s refrain
until past, present and future one day I greet in the mist.

© 2006 2010 Kate Sender

In loving memory of my Dad, who kept safe my first story written at age 6 (I learned more than a decade later) in his strongbox with other ‘important’ documents like his citizenship papers. He was the first mate on my starship, and his sage advice I continue to embrace along the voyage to my writing success.