Bliss

The touch of ceramic, cool
on my lips
Hot liquid pours in, savory
sweet bliss
Each sip fills my heart, joy
brims to overflow
Memories flow, warm
through my mind

Fresh cut grass, green
and rolls of hay bales in the field
Chasing chicken through the pen, feathers
fly through the air
Playing in the run-down camper, rust-colored
stains cover our clothes
Endless giggles, cheerful
shouts of glee

Adults are seated in the yard, aluminum
lawn chairs sinking in the grass
Grandma and grandpa at the center, family
gathered ’round
Aunts and uncles, laughing
sharing memories and family secrets no one was to tell
The aroma of coffee fills the air, fresh-brewed
nutty bliss

Someone starts to sing, melodies
from the family’s musical trove
All the children sit, hush falls
over the group
We all join in, harmonies swell
in perfect unity
Grandpa requests his favorite song one last time, solemnly
we sing “On a hill far away…”

Memories flow, warm
a tiny hand clasps mine
My daughter sits on my lap, watching
our family gathered ’round the table
My parents, brothers and I, laughing
sharing memories and family secrets no one was to tell
The aroma of coffee fills the air, fresh-brewed
fragrant bliss