When I was 5 I remember this big white rock

That was almost flat

And sat

In the middle of a field full of lilac trees

And there was a pear tree

And a plum tree along the stonewall

That wound around that field

And I would sit on that rock

In the warm summer sun

And look at all the wild flowers

That grew all around that rock

 

When I was 15 I remember this big white rock

That was pretty flat

And sat

In the middle of that field full of lilac trees

And there was that pear tree

And plum tree

Along the stone wall

And I would listen to the train pass by

Down over the hill

And watch the birds and flowers

All around me

While I thought about my life and what it would become

 

When I was 25 I remember this big white rock

That was flat and wide and warm in the sun

In the middle of a field full of lilac trees

And I would take my little girl

To play in that field and sit on the big rock

And we would have a picnic

And watch the clouds in the sky

And pick the wild flowers

All around us

While I dreamed about life

And what would become of us

 

And life has gone by and I’ve grown old

And sometimes I think of that big

Flat rock in the sun

And remember the quiet joy of motherhood

The solitude that fed my soul

And I remember that field as a perpetual

Summer day surrounded by lilac trees

And wild flowers and encircled by an old stone wall

 

By Diane E. Dockum

©April 26, 2017