Things Left Behind

This house is filled with memories...
Fragments to sift through.
A grey, felt hat,
Some brown, leather loafers.
I will keep the string tie
And the letter opener.
(They have my birthstone.)

Yet over the years
You gave me what
You wanted me to keep:
The jewelry box,
The clock,
The family pictures,
The old letters,
The mission style bureau,
The three porcelain bowls.

This house is filled with memories...
Yesterday long and quiet;
A raised eyebrow the only acknowledgement
That you knew we were there.
And years ago
The long van ride,
Sweet onions,
And the roses in your yard.

Yet over the years
You gave me what
You wanted me to keep:
Stories attached to items,
Notes tucked into a corner,
All the generations stretching
Across the water to England...
Wishing to hold onto something,
I will let the rest go.