Twilight Years

Together from high school day,

they had a love,

others look for

and others only dream about it.

They had their days in the sun,

so much fun

and darker days when it seemed –

the rain would never go away.

Still hand in hand,

in their twilight years,

they still saw each other,

in the light of youth.

It was her greatest fear,

if the time came for one of them,

to ford that stream,

across that threshold –

when the angels came.

They talked about it,

but he would always laugh,

he’d say it wouldn’t matter,

because they’d never be far,

one from the other,

till the day they met on the other side.

He’d paint her pretty pictures,

with his words,

of ways of sending hellos,

through all the lonely tomorrows.

Or raindrops pattering,

like tears from the sky,

against a windowpane –

just saying hi.

Of scattered blossoms,

blowing in the soft wind,

in the spring.

Of lacy snowflakes,

that pasted ice flowers,

on the windowpanes.

Of summers with butterflies flitting,

sending many greetings

and much love from heaven above.

Still, it was so strange,

to think they’d be one day parted,

till then she’d be glad just to have him,

by her side

and she knew that one day,

if the angels came for her first,

she’d be that butterfly of summer –

ever sitting upon his shoulder.

So on and on they’d go,

as the years rolled on –

they continued to celebrate their love.