Remembrance

An old lover marks my 75th birthday

75 years now I am
and you have counted well
dear Andrea
old love my witness
of hour glass sand
that shared our layer
of grained remembrance
from so long behind us past
40 years ago of time before the mast
for which we strove to bait
the future of our small estate
before its final cast

it does not seem that long
so much water bridged
life and song
that we did once engage
but flowed for but a little while
yet now ‘tis just a fond blown kiss
to fly and cross to banks now washed away
respaced diverted to another time
a look and glance that says it all
and nothing more
until we meet again in final days
as walls do drench to white
and close

time alone stands still
in once such crowded streets
and now a city in retreat
the final call
the curtain sweeps across the stage
falls silent
and then is still
content
it sleeps