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

(1986)

poem by Jack Mashman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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