Advancing to my later years,
Intense emotions do appear.
Bygone times scanned in my mind
Where happy occasions are enshrined.

Downsizing – a task to be done,
I inspect household items, one by one.
A wooden bowl set I find evokes
Memories of meals shared with kinfolk.

In past dwellings these bowls have been,
Friends and family they have seen,
Conversations they have heard,
Some were happy, others sad.

They have served me to and fro,
Now it’s time to let them go.
To daughter Dahlia they’ll bring joys,
Delicious meals with husband and boys.

Though childhood meals they may recapture,
These bowls will now gain a new chapter.
Now they will serve some new concoctions,
Her own recipes of other options.

With a slight tear in my eye,
Where have all the years gone by?
Into my car these bowls are transported
From my house to be deported.

To Dahlia's house I set out to visit,
Loving words we both did speak
She played piano with spunk and spirit
Her rendition of the “Pathétique”.

I watched her with care unpack these bowls,
Into kitchen cupboards, stacked away,
It almost seemed like we’ve changed roles,
My heart’s full of love for her today.

Hosting large dinners belongs to my past,
With poignancy I now realize.
This is the torch that’s being passed.
The way of the world, I surmise.

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By Ruth Rin, 2024