No Further Than My Own Backyard

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The manger on the mantle—

our family history time-lined

by the collected ornaments

gracing the Christmas tree;

greens and berries…

crafts from long ago

making their annual trip

up the stairs to shine for the holidays—

the warmth of grown children in the house,

the sound of my husband turning

the pages of his book;
his occasional sigh.

All of these things remind me

of how precious and fragile life is,

how very fleeting time can be—

I pause to absorb this moment,

to take a mental snapshot; a reminder

that the most important things

are right here, right now

…family, friends, all I hold dear,

    knowing I am loved.

 My heart is full

    and I am content.

© Ginny Brannan 2018

In the famed words of Dorothy Gale from somewhere in Kansas...

“If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with.”