Today, I drove home slowly
Along the country road
And saw a great old oak in the bend
Blanketed with a profusion of faded ribbons
And tattered Christmas tinsel hung from a sun bleached
Wooden cross that someone lovingly attached to the tree.
Freshly planted lilies encircled the tree’s base
And a hand painted sign read, “Please wait for me.”

Today, I drove home slowly
Along the country road
And paused at a large pond embraced by a circle of cedars.
Its outer edge was thickly covered with rich green algae
And a pasture lay beyond the thick where a herd of Jerseys
Grazed in the afternoon sunlight.
The unblemished beauty was mirrored in the pond
And the beauty seduced me to stay awhile and breathe in serenity.

Today, I drove home slowly
Along the country road
And saw a playground with children giggling and frolicking
In a sandbox and on swings and see-saws
And mothers, like sentries, encircled the grounds
As they read their books or chatted
One eye always on their prized possession
And my heart smiled.

Today, I drove home slowly
Along the country road
And saw an old stone fortress entombed in the side of a hill.
It was sheltered in a canopy of thick brush
And a dead tree had fallen across its entrance.
It conjured up visions of cowboys and Indians,
And adventures that had taken place so long ago
And I never would have savored any of it but,

Today, I drove home slowly.