Poem: January 10, 2020

There is a Room

There is a room I've constructed
for the thought of you,
a quiet place of great white windows
through which sunlight shines
and cool air brushes the curtains.

This is where the thought of you
finds books worth reading,
puzzles to solve, a deck of cards,
and cats that stretch
and flick their tails,
and coffee with cream to drink
in slow and peaceful sips.

And the thought of you can sense
the nearness of the ocean,
the suggestion of salt and ebb and hush,
close enough and always so
the thought of you knows
there is no need for rushing out

because the walls recall so much here,
memories of kites in Spring and
Christmas mornings and all
our ancient monuments, no need
for hurrying when the linens
and pillows are so clean and soft and
lend themselves to sinking in.

I love the way the thought of you
lingers here, and every year,
this room, a little larger.