Mementos

[couchgrouch]

MementosThough I'd expected that sad callI heard ghostly foghorns down the hallthen loaded up my old PintoI didn't throw many photos inthat night each star reminded me of himand what he lived for was the best mementowhen he'd come home after six months or moreexcept for me and mom he hated porthe thought of land as just a jailerand as I drove closer to the coastsalt in the air tasted like a toastfrom the sea to the mem'ry of a sailorthere's land and sea and skywho knows where men sail when they diecos when souls are set adrifttheir loves and stories are all that's leftto remember them byhe kissed a blonde in a Paris whiskey lairpulled a pin and her golden hairfell down her back like morning's glorygot tossed in jail after too much ginpicked the lock with that girl's hairpinand made it shipside with a hellavah storygot to the nursing home by eightwhen poor mom forgot my nameshe looked lost and embarrassedshe was grey...her accent was almost gonethe winds of time had worn life from the blondeDad fell for and wed in Paris there's land and sea and skywho knows where men sail when they diecos when souls are set adrifttheir loves and stories are all that's leftto remember them byDad was just a prisoner when on landsailing was when he felt like a free manand stars were his fav'rite time clocksat his grave I thought of that old French jailreached beneath poor mama's veilthen tossed her hairpin in his cheap pine boxthere's land and sea and skywho knows where men sail when they diecos when souls are set adrifttheir loves and stories are all that's leftto remember them by(c)2005 Robert George