A little Boy in the Attic -

A little boy
stares at the fogged glass
wipes a circle clean

In an old room full of dust
old boxes and wrappings

Old grandma's house
in the attic
where he really shouldn't be
but he is

He looks in the cleared glass
and sees a little girl
just standing

In a white frilly dress
like a picture of MoM

So beautiful
pure
innocent
like a true friend

He knocks - on the glass
her eyes open as if woken

"I can't see you"
she replies

I can see you - your beautiful

"only as a child"
and in back of her -

His MoM.....angry spiteful

And later as old Granny
bitter and crinkled in age
and lying in her grave
bones and dust - bugs and such

And then she was back
"don't cry'
as her hand went through the mirror
touching his face
feeling so cool against the heat of the day

No longer a child
mother long gone and buried
hospital bound
a fire he alone survived

A nurse touching his face
a wet towel
pressed light by his hand

Ellie the child's name

grandma
the nurse so beautiful

"your so beautiful", he replied

Only as a nurse, she replied with laughter
like love sweetened
for she would be his wife

Back at the mirror
he replied to the child
"I'll still Love You"
with tears as he cleared the mirror
his eyes drooping with tears + sleep

Found an hour after
mother was about to scold

When she saw the tears almost dried
the empty mirror
her own pictures of so long ago

the love her son must have of her
when she was small as when she was big.

Falling to the boy and remembering when she too was small

Feeling for him
as she's sure he must feel for her
taking him gently
treating him like her son
as not done before.



Earl