On a sunny day I drove along a country road
Which became a road to remembrance
Of places I had been before
And people I had known in days of yore.

I saw houses sitting forlorn,
Sad and longing for families who once lived there
But who have long since gone.
I seemed to feel the ache of the sad old place
With its vacant windows
And the yard showing signs of neglect
With weeds and vines creeping over its face.

I knew the family who lived there
And many happy hours we did share.
I see the chimney crumbling down
And remember happy hours sitting in a chair
Pulled around the hearth
Sharing love and happiness, the best on earth.

Through the dingy window
I seem to see the kitchen table where we used to go
And share a meal cooked by loving hands
That spread a feast, oh so grand
By the lamplight's faint glow.

Round the bend and along the dark ribbon
Of asphalt and down a dirt drive
I found a dear friend still alive
And visited with her for a while.
She was frail and like a shadow
Of the person she once had been.
I shared with her my love and then
Went on my way with a smile.

Down the hill and hollow
The ribbon of road I did follow
Past the ghost town so bleak and bare
With the store fronts sagging down.
Once it was a hub of activity for all who came to town.
The people moved away and now it stands all alone,
A reminder of earlier times long gone.

Up the hill I see the white church and steeple
And the marble monuments marking the people
Who once gathered to worship there.
Now, they lie in peaceful repose
Waiting for the Lord's return to shout the call
Claiming the body of saints, one and all.

Returning home I felt sweet peace
And thanksgiving for how I was blessed
On the road to remembrance, sweet
Where once again I could recall
Friends and family I had loved , one and all.
I remember well
The happy memories which now I tell.

Jane Ward Smithİ
March 4, 2006
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