Empty chairs,

Empty rooms and all the spaces in between.

The light dimmed forever.

Portrait of my mother,

Pathos and power immortalised.

Her imprints remain in the remnants left behind.

I sense her presence in the echoes and vibrations of shadows cast

and I inhale deeply the last traces of scent to recall her spirit.

Grasping at tenuous links in the hope of holding on.

The archaeological uncovering of earthly possessions.

Mere objects of memory and nostalgia,

but objects cherished and honoured of a live lived well.

We begged for time and she granted us rest.

That ache of space dared settled dust,

takes her place.

Wishes for freedom now attained, loosed, released, disconnected and forlorn.

Years of changing patterns.

Integuments of lives, splintered and scattered.

Shared seeds seeking solace in the succession of time.

Copyright Maria Noonan-McDermott