Never owned China nor a silver tea set,
never collected expensive crystal
nor owned a hutch to put them on display.
Never had a butler with his nose in the air.
My house never had a second story
with a spiral staircase going up
to ten bedrooms or more
each with its own bath and balcony
and one with a hot tub,
nor a grand entrance with a waterfall
and pillars trimmed in gold
rooming a grand piano played by a
grand master pianist.
Never lived by the sea nor overlooking Central Park,
never owned a summer home
winter home
a home in the south of France
nor a castle in the British Isles.
Never hired a housekeeper nor a chef,
still looking for the dust cloth
and learning how to cook.
Dust off the vacuum now and then.
Never sailed the seven seas nor flew aboard the Concorde,
took a cruise, saw the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls.
Never shopped in the grand stores along Fifth Avenue,
but, rode a city bus along that route - got lost.
Never owned a shiny, new Cadillac or convertible
nor ridden in a hearse
but have partied in a limo once or twice. . .that was nice.
Never earned six figures but was sure proud of my five
which kept me at struggling middle class
which I managed to survive.
But, I have stopped to smell the roses and the lilacs,
walked into a church to pray, inspired others to do so, too.
Saved a toddler from drowning in a river one August afternoon, 1966
and I have gloriously and passionately loved but then miserably lost. . .
. . .over and over and over again.
I have visited The Wall,
touched it and heard the anguished cries
of the 54,000 plus souls it lost in Vietnam.
I looked beyond Lincoln out over the Mall
to the Washington monument,
watched the eternal flame flicker and dance
over the concrete grave of President John F. Kennedy,
paid tribute to the dead
on a knoll at Arlington.
I have splashed in the surf of the Atlantic Ocean
and tasted the salty water of the Gulf of Mexico.
Have shivered while standing in the Great Lakes waters,
felt the awesome power of the waves pounding to shore
and was intrigued by the absolute beauty
of the most incredible entity on this magnificent planet.
I have bonded with babies and known their growth,
seen angels on this earthly side, a sight allowed only a few,
communed with nature, felt the connection to all living things.
Have irritated more than a few people, yet,
also brought warmth and laughter to many.
And as my years on this earth wind down, I know
it has been grand
and what now I reap is what I sowed.
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