It was 4:30 AM

When I woke them

One at a time

With a little musical

Humming

Of a playful revelry

Tune,

Like the military do

On my behalf

When they woke

To ready themselves

For that long trip on the road

Back home.

While it was still dark

Before the eastern skies

Turned gray

Before the cock crowed

Before the crack of dawn

Readied the heavens

With hues

Of orange and gold

Preparing the way

For another beautiful day.

They sadly breakfasted

All four in an eerie silence

For they knew

We will miss each other,

They of me will miss

Me waking up with them

To make their favorite

Goodies

French toast

What can I do?

After all

I am not only their

Grandpa, (Papa Bill)

I am also

Their gracious host.

Then came the painful

Goodbyes

The gentle hugging

I gave each

And lets not forget

Our whispers to each other

Of

“I Love You”

For them

While they were here

I try to be the clown

Just to extract

A laughter or two,

Now

I fight back

A tear or two

I was strong,

some might have say

Since it was still dark.

I watched them

As they rode away

Not in Cinderella’s golden pumpkin

But in today’s equivalent

A snow white SUV

Laden With my four beautiful

Little Princesses

Melting into the darkness

There I stood alone

Shrouded in immediate loneliness

On the cobbler stones

Of my drive way.

Staring at the rear red lights

Disappeared into the darkness

Around a curve from my house

I slowly walked in

To nurse

My oncoming loneliness.

I laid on my bed

Fell asleep

With a feeling of

Emptiness within my soul

With giggling laughter

Echoing in my mind

Waking up

Several hours later

To the reality of not hearing

Their joyous laughter.

With a final vision

Within my head

Of a moment

Just the day before,

We all cherished

While playing softball

Old grandpa

Caught a line drive

With a back hand catch, at that

And not with my mustache

As they all laughed

To the surprise look

On my face.

By; William Bonilla

“D’Artagnan”

09/26/09