Memory

The mountains and the sea
         the warm air
and the fine sand on the beach
         the mind sifts memories
from long ago
         moments daisy-chained together
picking and choosing
         through the debris of time
and then all of a sudden
         a face from the past
with perhaps
         a word and a kiss recalled

What my eyes have seen
         all these years
what my fingers have touched
         the love I have known and lost
all slowing now
         but not done yet
not by a long shot
         There where the wide bay
curves off into the distance
         I stood and looked west
not knowing what lay beyond
         everywhere the smell of gorse
and heather and the taste
         of wild honey

These are the notes of my life
         these are the chords
and here and there
         the key changes
here the note was sustained
         and here the melody
merrily skipped
         three score years and ten
and the light as the sun rose
         and the stars faded
and I welcomed the day
         with open arms

John Lyons