Nineteen Years

Nineteen Years

This will always be home

Where the trees loom and the long grass

Tickles your legs in the summer time.

This is where the birds sing and the sheep

Are to be heard across the green fields,

Such is the peace and silence of home.

At night the stars stretch out to eternity

All awash in milky white, they reinforce

Our tiny yet so significant existence.

The fire crackles in the comfort of the room

Where family convene and reminisce

About the very early days

And the hilarious hijinks of times gone by.

Down the road a bit

Those buildings represent years of memories

That shop you used to think was so much fun

That place you never visited but wished you had

That alley you had always found haunting

Yet you took it as a shortcut anyway

For the nature of that place was such

That everyone knew everyone

Yet no-one really knew each other.

That place is where so many friendships were made

But now are gone forever

Made irrelevant by this transient life

But they all played their part in the grand scheme.

On a bit further

Here is what defines these nineteen years

These strange impractical shapes

But the wonderful times found within

Filled your soul with joy to a point

Where the years to come seemed frightening

The years where those you turned to will be gone.

What faces will take their place?

There is no way of knowing what lies ahead

And you cling to the fading souls of that place,

One in extreme particularity.

But she and the rest are gone with the wind

To take their place in flattering memories.

One morning you step out to the morning air

And feel the familiar breeze once again

Only this time, it is the final exeunt,

As every bird, bee, flower and tree seem to bow

In a final flourish of colour and sudden beauty.

Only now after nineteen years is the magnificence

Of home so astounding that you feel you have made

Such a terrible mistake to leave it behind.

But then, as you gaze for the last time

Upon the glorious green horizons in the distance,

As the climbing white clouds contrast the bright blue sky,

You feel a sense of fitting conclusion,

An almost happy ending.

So nineteen years have come and gone,

So quickly and so slowly all at once.

But never mind, it is time for the next chapter

Time for the lighting of a new light

Time to replace the old and familiar

With the new and inspiring

Time to look for the final time on this place as home

Time to say your farewells and goodbyes

Time to reflect on the transience of life

Time to feel that pang of woe and nostalgia

Time to leave it behind, the green and glow

Time to look to the winding yet exhilarating road ahead

Time to call it a day.

Author's Note

This is probably my favourite poem I've written. All comments/feedback welcome!

Reviews

[Inda]

I really like it, especially the last line, the idea of 19 years and calling it a day. A very easy read that keeps you engaged. well done!

[OneAmongstMany]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed :)

[Namyh]

OneAmongstMany - There is a little and a lot of that nostalgia in all of us. You captured it well with your words. Now you got me remembering what I thought was forgotten. Keep writing. Namyh

[OneAmongstMany]

Thanks again!

[duff]

Soft and easy on the eyes imagery. A stroll down memory lane for sure. Nice work with this one:)

[OneAmongstMany]

Thank you :)

[duff]

You got it:)

[B]

I totally relate to this piece
I miss home
but that place no longer exists with all the renovations that happened

Thanks for sharing

[OneAmongstMany]

You're most welcome, glad you could relate :)

[Rosie Brooklin]

Beautiful! Simple, yet elegant; a hard balance to find! I love the imagery and the familiarity of this poem. It's something that we can all identify with. "as you cling to the fading souls of that place, one in extreme particularity" is especially relatable. Great job creating a poem that will reach the hearts of its readers!

My only critique would be grammatical. In the last few lines, you might want to look out for commas that need to be placed.

Still, very good content! I loved it!

[OneAmongstMany]

Thank you for the feedback, glad you enjoyed it :)