A Thread of Music

All music, however beautiful, Must needs come to an end, Leaving a thread of music etched Into the inner reaches of the mind, Often recalled without warning At unexpected moments. The acrid smoke of leaves burning On a brisk October evening Stabs the consciousness With a breathless moment - A kiss on another October night, When love was young and new A wreath of pipe smoke nearby, And my father’s face appears, Young, as he was in my youth, Arms open to welcome me home, As real to me now as then. A child on roller skates passes - I see myself clamping on tinny Skates with a key and joining My friends in a mad dash, A race to the corner store. A lighted theatre marquee – An eight-year old, I’m at My first movie at night with A favorite aunt and uncle - Tom Sawyer - it’s scary, And I feel very grown up. The music of my life plays on As I grow into old age, More often than not, it brings Back only the magical moments, While other, sadder memories Fade and slip away in the distance