A Boomer’s Celebration of Home

Posted: April, 26, 2018 | Categories: Uncategorized

 

Inspired by Hide and Seek, by Charles Simic, 1938

 

I hadn’t found anywhere

I wanted to be

The communities must’ve been hiding

Behind trees and hills

Waiting till the time was right.

 

Our street was filled now

With families, young children

Lawns littered with bicycles and Frisbees

Children walking home from the bus

Like our children did, on this very street

Heads bowed over phones

Like ours never were.

 

The lawn loomed large

As spring grass greened

And the mower mocked me

From beneath spider webs

In the corner of the garage.

 

I don’t want to mow anymore.

I don’t want to clean rooms I don’t use.

I want neighbors who, like me

Have grandchildren who ride bicycles

And throw Frisbees in our children’s yards

And bow their heads over their phones

As they walk home from the bus.

 

I want to walk my dog and wave

To neighbors who still think waving is cool

Who appreciate a glass of wine on the porch

Who enjoy a large garage for my car

And not for tools to keep the yard tidy.

 

I want a home that serves my needs now

That has rooms I use every day

Windows that brighten the inside

And a owner’s suite where I can truly relax.

 

I want to stretch out in the sun

On a lawn chair on my patio

Book in one hand, lemonade in the other

Able to doze if I want to

Or get up and putter in raised garden beds

Designed for my enjoyment.

 

I want a house that is not so big

But has space for what fulfills me

Not so small, either

Designed for the way I live my life -

Just the right size. Just right.

 

Does that place exist?

Oh, yes it does.

And it is not hidden behind trees and hills.

It is not far away from what I enjoy

It is right where I want to be.

 

It was like they read my mind

Created my home from my thoughts

With everything my heart desires

Ample space – but no so big

And they said as they handed me the key:

 

Welcome to Windsong – Where Life’s A Breeze!