Calliope-Sentinels

Once…

Round and round we went.

Such were the carousel of days,

Each one a blur of childhood,

Adolescent spins of responsibilities.

As adults,

Morning light knew well its purpose,

We rose,

We ran,

The routine dance with the clock.

Bills to pay,

Staff meetings to attend,

While many a dream tucked away in our minds

Festered prescient fear

As we held tighter,

Afraid to let go.

But…

In the chaos,

Moments of stillness

Made loud our childlike laughter.

Today…

There is the newfound joy in the small things.

A glass of wine,

A shared smile,

Quiet evenings to remember

How round and round we rode

This attached stampede of life’s steeds

Taught us how to balance the rush

And the rest.

We remember well the spinning,

Where rhythm of the dance,

Resilience of the melody

Providing survival

Long after quietness delivered

A new reality.

Now…

In the antiquity of the park,

They remain the silent sentinels of yesterday’s laughter,

Paint chipped,

Once vibrant horses

Now frozen in time.

To listen closely…

Is to hear the wind whispering

Through corroded chains,

Rusted echoes of distant past,

Parents’ smiles,

Children’s giggles

Now, cherished memories in the breeze

As sunlight reflects on the chrome poles

Of unmoving forms,

Waiting for the music to play again.

Such stillness protects the peace

In their quiet rest of beauty,

The guardian of a thousand stories.