“Memory,

All alone in the moonlight,

I can smile at the old days,

It was beautiful then;

I remember the time I knew

What happiness was,

Let the memory live again.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber

It seems like several very long lifetimes ago

Since I moved away from my childhood home

Yet, its cherished memories remain in my heart

No matter where on this earth I may have roamed

Almost every year now as the Holidays approach

I find myself traveling back to my old neighborhood

There, I always park directly across my old street

Reminiscing about those days so peaceful and good

The old homestead has now very sadly deteriorated

The old neighborhood has now seen far better days

Even the wondrous gigantic oak trees surrounding it

Seem tired and faded in the moon’s cold, uncaring rays

Their long dead branches are no longer overflowing

With chattering squirrels and the lovely songs of birds

Even they now seem to have evaporated into the mist

And not a single trace or sound of them can be heard

My grandmother’s loving touch is long gone now

From the flower beds and the neglected brown grass

My father’s very meticulous home maintenance vanished

And I suppose that nothing in this life is ever meant to last

But the old windows of this very weary old building

Are what always lead me to this beguiling old place

And if I gaze into them longingly and hard enough

I’m somehow transported back through time and space

I usually start with the old cracked basement window

And work my way up the face of the weathered brick

And soon, I miraculously spot my tiny old pal, Pepper

Gazing back at me through time now misted and thick

When I peer up to the first floor window

I somehow spot my extremely loving Dad

He’s diligently awaiting Mom’s return home

When he spots her, he’ll be so joyously glad

As I gaze up at the next level of the old house

Who should I see but my beloved grandmother

She always patiently awaited my arrival home

In that old window she would constantly hover

Finally, my gaze wanders to the tiny attic window

What I spot there penetrates my very heart and soul

It’s a very happy mischievous young blond-haired boy

With that lovable old dog, with his fur of lustrous gold

They are excitedly peering down at the rustic old street

Watching the neighbors and vehicles meandering past

I soon hear a muffled echo of the boy’s impish laughter

But it fades into the wind, and evaporates much too fast

Far too quickly that little boy and his dog begin to vanish

They have soon completely disappeared before my eyes

I sadly gaze up at the building and at the trees once more

And that’s when my heart and soul begin to sag and sigh

But I soon realize that these deeply etched memories

Of my home, friends, and family from the distant past

Are truly what sustain me in this hectic fast paced world

And in my heart and soul - they will always linger and last

Memories,

All alone in the moonlight,

I can smile at the old days,

It was so beautiful then.

And as I now drive off,

I remember them all again.

©2007, Mr. Ed