ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

A JAR FULL OF MEMORIES ... Maureen Clifford © The #ScribblyBark Poet


A memory sparked in him at that old familiar taste -
a mood changer when he was just a kid
having a bad day, then his Mum would cook his favourite food
ruffle his hair, call him her 'billy-lid'.
His Mum wore her heart on her sleeve, she had no poker face
her eyes were just a window to her soul.
Some saw her as a bleeding heart, which wasn't really right,
though honesty and kindness was her goal.

He hoped a little bit of her was in him - in his psyche,
he thought it was. Some called him a soft touch.
Which he wasn't, but he couldn't stand to see another suffer
if he had the power to change it in his clutch.
His animals related - they all felt affinity,
and children also to him took a shine;
his gentleness apparent, plain to see in all he said
and did, and not just once, time after time.

He took another bite from the soft flesh of the sweet peach
recalled again the memory of Mum
with basket swinging in her hand as she strolled through the orchard
picking apricots, sweet peaches and dark plum.
"I'll make these into jam" she'd say " and each jar will hold sunshine,
and every spoonfull tasted holds a kiss -
for you my little Billy-lid - you fill my life with pleasure."
Strange how a taste can make you reminisce.

Indeed it can, Maureen. Sometimes when you least expect it, a taste, smell, a sound, can take you back down the path of years.

Cheers
Shelley

That is so true Shelley - its rather amazing when you think about it