she heard his voice from down the hall,
the christmas gifts he meant to hide –
his mom and him, she heard it all,
the house was neither long, nor wide
 
but christmas gifts? it’s early, boy;
it’s only june, and still you scheme —
then she looked down, and time stood still,
she realized it was all a dream
 
his mom’s been dead for forty years,
and he’s been gone for twenty;
she’s known of summer solitude,
lone winters she’s seen plenty —
 
she does not know just when that was
she now recalls so clearly,
but she looked down and time stood still,
and she still loves him
dearly