Mike Perkins gives us a lovely poem about a lovely moment of simple elegance. The last line of this is a confession we could all own and a reminder to actively seek out the magic moments where they wait for us to notice them.
One Afternoon
By Mike Perkins
On the porch we sat in the afternoon
Late summer like the fall
You two standing and me sitting
Two young girls
A too rapidly aging father
Then quiet
No more spoken words
We stopped talking because we all knew it was special
At the same time, together, sensing real magic
Being together in silence
A rare moment
Pure experience
You taught me a lesson
When I told your mother she knew
You both told her because even you had been startled
Sometimes poetry conceals
Secrets too painful to tell what your conscience whispers
But here I confess, those silent moments were too few
Mike, I was there. You had me on the porch remembering days of past. Your beautiful poem was touching.
thank you!