What part of my life
would I dwell in
if confined to the world of my memories?

(The old man loops on Providence,
his sisters and the people and streets
he used to know)

Would I choose to hang out in my childhood,
the summer games of hide and seek,
the chlorine-lung feeling from long days
in the swimming pool? Or the scattered
gems of joy throughout the stringent years of school?

Probably not in adolescence, despite the sparks
of spiritual enlightenment, and the strong feelings
too deep under the surface for me to fathom

And young adulthood, though it had its triumphs,
contained too many gaffes for me to want to re-inhabit,
though the growth, a little later,
was quite compelling

There was great joy in having children
and the fierce love that came with it,
but there was also anguish and constricting fears

Considering my rising tide of happiness,
I think I’d rather stay here
in these last five years.

©Wendy Mulhern
September 12, 2016