the garden gathering
where everyone meets
Sometimes,
when i am missing
the people i have loved,
those who have passed,
those who are still living
and those who have not yet arrived,
i like to imagine,
they are all together
at a garden gathering,
with sandwiches and mango juice,
and daisies, roses, wildflowers all around,
and abba playing softly
in the background,
warm smiles
exchanged without
the need for introductions,
meeting the people,
like my childhood friends,
or the people who knew me
before i knew myself,
the people i found
only for a little while,
the ones i never got to
say goodbye to
and somehow,
the very loving souls
who are in my life right now
have wandered in as well,
pulling up chairs,
introducing themselves,
complimenting their outfits,
sharing hobbies,
then arriving one by one,
the people i have not met yet,
the friends who will one day
become like family,
the stranger who will
one day be someone
i cannot imagine living without
the neighbour i will wave to
for years to come,
the dreamy children
who have not yet been born,
and all the love
still travelling towards me
no one is surprised
to see anyone else,
no one has asked
how this could be,
time is still,
and life continues
everyone belongs there,
everyone has always had a place at the table,
they pass around all the sandwiches,
refill one another’s glasses,
and even make peppermint tea
all enjoying each others presence,
they laugh at stories
i haven’t lived yet,
and remember moments,
i thought had disappeared
sometimes i imagine,
that they look towards me
wherever i happen to be,
and say
“thats the one who connects us”
their faces light up
and for a little while
and just a little while,
everyone i have loved,
everyone i love,
and everyone i have
yet to love,
are together
in this garden,
beneath the orange pink skies,
and the fairy lights,
keeping each other company,
until it’s my turn to arrive,
i like to imagine,
they are all still there
sharing stories,
mixing in the crowd
my grandma
teaching my daughter how to knit
my father reunited with his mother,
another cup of peppermint tea
being poured,
another sandwich
passed around,
and people singing
along to abba
and no one,
in any hurry to leave
lots of love,
love emm xxxxxx