Memories of Lola

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 (A lone voice whispers)

Like an unpeeled entity
She stood courageously before me

Layers of unspoken truths
Hiding all her unexplored depths


All those silent moments
Where she smiled or wept

As I gazed and wondered
At this beautiful woman
Before me

Really paused and perused

Thinking about all the
Past experiences

Her plights and purple waves of emotions

And all the sad times

She may have allowed
Herself to be used

I reached out with tentative fingers

Let my hands reach her
Soft skin and let them linger

And as I took her into my
Naked arms

I too remembered

Aren't we all but living onions

Layers of life's many
Extrusions

Secretive shields

We use to protect ourselves

From showing our true
Vulnerabilities

But when she gazed deep into my dark eyes

With that beautiful transference of spiritual
Energy

I knew she was the one
Who was my own reducer

The only one to peel
Back my many hidden layers

To walk through my dreams

And feel my fears

As I too embraced and wiped away her soft tears

We were only together

Like husband and wife

For twenty-two years

And then the Lord came and called her home

And now as I sip my Greygoose all alone

In the quiet hours of
The approaching dawn

Sitting here lonely
On our old farm

I can always remember
My dearest Lola

And the first moment
I held her

In my naked arms

I'm so glad she still visits me

Here in low hours

When I find the courage and strength to walk through that mystical turnstile

To call for her in

The Great In-Between 

For even now though we just hold spiritual hands
As we meet with a soft smile

Before once more

Taking our nightly stroll
Through Memories Park

I always just remember her

 

As the most beautiful lily

Floating in the blue rivers 

Of my inner Nile

Copyright John Duffy