The Duchess I Once Knew

She's pouring from a pot of tea as we relax on the quiet porch Honeysuckle vines encircle the posts, and webs of daddy long-legs glisten in the afternoon light. She nonchalantly chatters, telling me her stories... as if they were ordinary tales which, of course, ..they are not. Sailing across an ocean during dangerous wartime, Living in exotic, but threatened tropics A life of adventure, of hardship, of fear Yet none of that revealed on her weathered face She smiles, cheeks rouged and eyes sparkling. Inside the house, the counter is cluttered with dirty dishes The floor is sticky, and dog hair floats in prisms of light The old hound sleeps in the middle of the kitchen rug. An older black lab is lapping up water from a brown dish dripping water from his sloppy face across the checkered floor. Throughout the house, a lingering musky smell of well loved pets, and a stale, smokey odor of burnt toast from her attempt at breakfast. Servants, cooks, gardeners, are now part of a long ago past. The house is filled with dust covered, treasured belongings from yesterday. Piles of clutter everywhere. Junk mail, newspapers, dog treats, documents and clippings prized antiques and artifacts On shelves, and on the walls, are sepia-hued photographs People of fame, others of family and friends... I see my own family among them. A handsome young man, and she, his bride. He would become a General. She would follow him to the ends of the earth. Their life like a story that one would read in a novel. I sit here now,...with this woman of many lives. Sitting on her porch, she wears a tattered, splattered dress. Today, she is a homespun, country widow. An extraordinary woman, this grand Duchess, yet now who bears traits of Ma Kettle She brought class, dignity, and a wealth of knowledge to our small country neighborhood,....... to my life. Here we are, together, so far from the world she once knew. We sit in the shade of her covered porch A long haired, grey cat jumps into her lap. Under the veil of a summer day I pour her another cup of tea, and a little more for myself. Tea is served....I have much more to drink in.....to savor. In memory of dear friends, most amazing people, who lived down our road ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Maitland Aviation Pioneer