Five Years On

We took a two-hour drive to our old cabin to see if things had changed since the flood. It was a sorry sight.

On a happier note, I will be in Japan for the next few weeks. See you in April.

Five Years On

I.

Our property still swallowed

                               by lake overspill.

Bathtub rings wrap

                          the abandoned cabin.

II.

Aspens, willows and firs turn ghostly,

       wallow knee deep in water,

                   stand guard.

      Unapproachable, unattractive,

                  unwelcoming.

III.

Enough to invade my sleep with nightmares.

    Enough to dissuade me from entering.

Enough to persuade me a fresh retreat waits.

IV.

No more summer people grilling.

No more cannonball splashes off docks.

No more little ones laughing, playing tag.

No more campfires to disturb the ducks.

V.

Only lapping water against a raised road,

   an oversized sink without a drainpipe,

       a lopsided bowl without a crack.

Marilyn Aschoff Mellor