Planned a Day In the Merry Sunshine

Came from work, exhausted and moody,
fall is advancing with an improvised, swift pace,
but the meteorologist defies it with the happiest face;
and tomorrow I'll wake up and trot away! 


Planned a day in the merry sunshine,
with a basked full of treats and a bottle of red wine,
to be consumed by the shade of an elm with my dearest;
and all the songbirds I will invite to my afternoon's feast!


We lay on the neatest blanket, facing the calmest, eastern sea
as sailboats drift by...a toddler listens to his mom's nostalgic song,
and in her tender voice that soldier's smile, on rippled waves, appears;
and tears, with a solar luster, fall on the pristine sand to recall her lost love.
  

Seagulls glide over to announce the close of an August's evening
still huddled in intimate embrace, the rushing waves tickle our toes,
and not minding their amusing play, we carry on and not withdraw;
before we lift the damp blanket, we are greeted by stars in throngs.


Planned a day in the merry sunshine,
a fantasy realized by two who will dream of this passionate season,
remembering our tanned faces and skin glittering with sand;
waving goodbye to the disheveled mother and trembling child.



Note:  These are the observations of a happy couple spending a day on the beach,
but  the happiness they felt wasn't shared by a mother and child who both missed a husband 
and father; and by the sad look on their faces, gazing out to the sea...he had gone to the  
Iraq War, and unfortunately had never returned home.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2009

Poem

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Dietrich Avatar
February 5, 2010 at 10:08 PM
Thanks for the note at the end. It makes it poignant to read it then. I LOVE the summer and the images and memories this evokes for me. I'm glad it made the list. Luv, Andrea
 Avatar
February 5, 2010 at 1:09 PM
A reminder of the cost of war. Thank you for sharing this story with us. Congratulations on being one of the winners in Mac's contest. Enjoy your honor. Keep on writing! Karen
Brown Avatar
February 5, 2010 at 4:29 AM
Congratulations on your win in Mac's contest Andrew. Love,Carol
Johnson Avatar
February 4, 2010 at 5:27 PM
But be that as it may, the happy couple deserved their day. Congratulations on a great p9oem. Love, Joyce
Sweetheart Avatar
February 4, 2010 at 4:23 PM
Congrats Andrew on your winning poem in Mac's contest.. an amazing write and a wonderful win for creativity ... luv.. Linda-Marie
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