Laura’s note: I went to western Michigan in September of 2012 for a wedding, and blogged about it here. I also went back to western Michigan two weeks ago for a speech (see my time diary here). Now, this sonnet.
Four years ago I came to this same place.
A wedding brought the siblings from afar.
Their mother too — confusion on her face,
yet happiness. This moment — here we are.
The glasses clinked. Recall that first chilled air!
The slanted light, the leaves turned slightly gold.
This beauty is the crest of memory shared,
and futures. We forget the coming cold.
But…four years on, two from that table gone.
The wedding toasted met a sudden end.
September brings me back as life rolls on.
Clink glasses, in this place remember when
I closed my eyes. This moment would not last.
It burns and fades like all Septembers past.
Thank you, Laura. This touches my heart. I’ll share it with your dad and his siblings.
I am reading this late, it is now almost November, but I still found it beautiful.