The Keeping Space #poetry #writingchallenge #Thursdaydoors

 

The Keeping Space

“Oh dear,” she exclaimed

surveying the room.

Her guest stumbled in,

“Should I loan you my broom?”

The Keeper just smiled,

“No, I do have my own.”

Her needs were so few,

after so long alone.

She pulled down some cups,

“Would you care for some tea?”

Her bins overflowed!

“Kind of you to visit me.”

The room dimly lit 

 showing all that she owned

was thick with dust and

her guest soon bemoaned,

“How can you live in

such disarray while,

 smiling, you ask

if I want tea today? 

Slowly she turned

to face her accuser.

“I may not be much

of a dust cloth user,”

She smiled sweetly

“When it comes to it

you didn’t submit

a direction

 for inspection

of my worth.”

She sighed..

I may not live in 

sparkling clean bliss,

 my work has thus been

far greater than this.

Beyond that door

you just breezed through

is where I toil

and what I must do 

 I am the Keeper

of the garden you see

Nature depends on

the ‘dull’ folks like me

to plant, prune and plow,

fetch water from the stream~

encouraging tendrils

and kisses from sunbeams!

It occurs to me now,”

she said as she bristled,

“I’m neglecting my work.”

The tea kettle whistled.

“I’m afraid there’s no time,

thank you for coming,”

She opened the door,

her fingers drumming.

Flustered and fuming

her guest swept away.

She grabbed up her broom

and cried, “Happy day!”

Then brushing the dirt

off of the stones

she smiled to herself

“Silly old bones.”

“For all of her wealth

she can’t see the worth

of song on the wind

and gems from the earth.”

The Keeper then knelt

‘neath an old sprawling tree.

“Thank you dear Mother

for this gift you gave me.

As long as I live

I’ll toil with my heart,

tending our garden

until life I part.

Cheryl K Pennington

Copyright words 2023

Image by Susan Rushton

To join Dan Antion’s fun Doors Writing Challenge visit the link and read the specifics. There aren’t a lot of rules so have fun! Thanks Dan for keeping us all connected.