That’s life

In those early winter days we would warm
           ourselves before the coal fire
always jostling for the best position
           I would traipse home from school
through the woods and across the fields
           my pockets bulging with sweet chestnuts
which I would balance on the fender
           occasionally turning with the tongs
until they were completely roasted
           The hearth really was the heart
of the home and it drew us together
           I know now that the warmth of those days
and the taste of those chestnuts
           will never return : that’s life

John Lyons