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
then she looked down…

