Through the Mist

I sit in my chair
Gazing out at the
Yellow and red leaves
Falling from the maple trees
I hear the chatter of geese
High in the sky
Reminding me of man’s time on earth

As we near the end
I think of long ago yesterdays
And yearn for those who die before their time
Forgetting the turmoil
With tears of joy
And sometimes
Sadness
Thoughts that bring back
The dreams and hopes
That fades and darken
Through the hourglass of time

With weary failing eyes
Dim pictures appear
White clouds drifting
Like castles in the sky
Long lines of trees
Like sentinels
Beside the winding road

Wooden sidewalks
Whirlwinds zigzagging
Racing down the dusty sandy streets
A shaggy horse trudging by
Pulling a wagon with high wheels
The driver standing
Holding the reins

The lonesome wail of the whistle blowing
As the white smoke billows high
From the stack of the steam engine
People sitting in the dining car
Eating Winnipeg goldeye
On china plates with sterling silver cutlery
A wave from the porter standing in the door of
The sleeping car as the train speeds by

Clicking of pool balls in the early evening
Men standing in front of the store
Talking laughing swearing
Happy to be home from the
Lumber camps and mines
For a short time

A fishing pole fashioned from a willow branch
And a thick green line
Fishing from the pier under the railroad bridge
While the older boys dove from the top
Into the raging white and foaming water

Sitting in school
On a warm spring afternoon
The fragrance of wildflowers
Through the open windows
Watching the slow moving clock
Daydreaming of things to come
In a far away world
We learn from books

Playing Cowboy and Indians among the trees
The daredevil pilots flying overhead
Looping stalling and steep dives
In the azure blue sky

Church service on Sunday evening
Singing hymns with the haunting chords
From the foot pumped organ

Passing the graveyard
In the evening
Where crosses mark the places
Children are buried

Heading into the forest with slingshots
Hunting for partridge and rabbits
Cold winter mornings
Heavy frost on the windows
In a drafty old house
Eating porridge
Walking to school through the heavy snow

Skating on the pond
Warning up around a bonfire
Smoking cattails
Tobogganing down the hills
Through snow laden trees

This time has passed
And we move along
Faded memories
From another time
So bittersweet
They make me laugh and cry