THE DUSTY ROAD part 2

THE DUSTY ROAD……......................
(a curious nite)
Many miles have I strode upon this dusty road,,
and many days,, weeks and months too…
I have been down many a path, taken many a turn…
And when I come to a junction in the road,, I take the one that
heads east to travel upon… For I am in no great hurry,,
to get just beyond,, it is just a dusty road that I am apon…
Many storms have I weathered,, with gusts,, rain, and sleet…
But I travel on,, for I am in my youth,, and a wanderer I am…
I have seen many a curious site,, and met some very very kind folk,,
and of one curious nite,, I shall tell you now,, as I take a moment
to rest along this dusty road…
A very curious nite indeed...

As I had been walking for quite some weeks,, it must have been
in June,, the day was getting late,, and the sun had just begun to
flicker thru the trees,,so I began to look about for a place to lay
my head down for the nite… I had just gone another mile or so,,
when I came upon an abandoned old house,, there beside this
dusty road…
“Ah” I said to myself,, “that is the place for me”…
Now as a lone traveler upon this dusty road, old houses are
nothing new to me… For manys a nite have I slept within such
broken structures,, and not afraid was I, of mice or rats,
creepy crawlies, or the flying bat…
So upon it I did stride, for I wanted to sleep inside this nite…
An old picket fence did line the dusty road,, and I could just make
out some roses there that had been planted with care,, among the
weeds they be… Now did I go,, along the weedy path,, up across the
shattered porch and then thru the door that wasn’t there…
Then standing within the very first room,, I could plainly see the
many hardships this house had been thru,, there were leaves and
twigs about the place... No windows of unbroken glass could I find,,
and only fragments of curtains still hung from their rusting rods…
The walls and floors where beginning to buckle,, and plaster hung
from every wall... But it was dry enough for me,, for just one nite,,
so I cleared myself some floor to lay my bed upon and sleep
awhile until the dawn…

The suns golden light was just about gone now,, as twilight turned
into night,, so I unrolled my bed,, and lit some candles and thought
about what to eat this nite... Ah,, a can of franks and beans and
some left over biscuits I had made the day before,, not the best of
fares,, but I’ve had much worse,, and sometimes nothing at all,,
so I was glad I had it there... No coffee or tea did I brew,,
with Whistling Pete’s very fine kettle,, just some water to wash
it all down…The nighttime shadows were now fully cast,, and the
full moon hovered just above the oak tree tops,, so there was little
left for me to do but blow out my candles and slumber...

Did you hear that?? A banging sound,, and what seems like laughter…
I awoke with a start,, from the noises about the room,, I had slept
just a few hours,, and now the moon did glow high above,, I sat
very still,, and let my eyes become adjusted to the streaming
moonlight,, and as I peered into the darkness and around the
room,, nothing could I find,, that would have awoken me from my
slumbers,, I had thought perhaps a raccoon or maybe a possum
had come into this very first room,, but nothing could I see,,
in the filtered moonlight,, thinking that some creature had enter
this house from the back,, I lit myself another candle to see what
was about,, quietly did I stand with candle in hand,, to search for
what had startled me from my sleep…

Again I searched this room,, now with my flickering light,,
but nothing did I see,, from wall to wall,, nothing at all,, there was
my pack,, just as I left it before,, some stairs in the corner,,
leading to nowhere now,, nothing at all in this dusty very first room,,
so I began to search about for the maker of those strange noises
that awoke me this nite...
Into the hall did I go,, nothing at all,, to the left was a room of broken
old pipes,, and a tub full of dried leaves,, nothing that would
stir me from my rest,, quietly did I venture into the very next
room,, as my candle cast dancing images upon the wall,, I again
could find nothing to make such waking sounds,, only a few broken
chairs lie about and an old fireplace with just a simple wooden
mantle,, all blackened with time…

Only one more room to search for those nighttime sounds,,
and into it I went,, and again nothing was to be found,, just an old
sink,, with some broken cupboards apon two walls,, and some left
over vases on the window sill there…
Nothing at all,, no creatures did I find,, no branches rattling against
these forgotten walls,, nothing at all did I find that would cause
such a waking sound... Nothing at all... Now there was plenty of
darkness left and I needed much rest,, for tomorrows journey
would take me as far as I had traveled,, upon this day,, now as I
started to return to my slumber,, in the archway I did linger…

Did you hear that?? A banging sound,, and what seems like laughter…
Now I am not a man who is easily rattled by sounds in the night,,
but this time I surely did hear them,, and they gave me quite
a fright… I turned just about and shown my candle into the kitchen
once more,, and there they were… The room had changed and was
now cast in a golden hue,, there they were,, just the same as you
or me,, but not the same at all,, they shown with a golden hue,,
and of flickering images they be...

He was seated at a small kitchen table,, a fine looking young man,,
one could plainly see,, a farmer he was and just about to begin his
daily chores,, and then suddenly two little girls did race straight
thru me,, onto their fathers lap they went,, all giggling and smiles,,
one was perhaps three and the other maybe five,, all dressed up
in sunny dresses they were... Then I noticed their mother by the
sink,, finishing up some dishes from the mornings breakfast,,
a pretty young women she was with her hair just tussled about,,
now I did stare at these images a little while,, for surely they were
images of days gone past… I did not want to disturb them so I
returned unto the hallway,, from whence I had just came...

And then more merriment did I hear,, from behind me,, in the family
room I suppose,, so I looked once again into that dusty old room
with its fireplace and mantle… And again it had changed and was
lit with a golden hue... A scene of joy and laughter was shown before
me,, for it must have been Thanksgiving or Christmas perhaps,,
and many more figures were about the room,, all smiles and
laughter having a very fine time,, and there were the little two girls
I had seen before,, but they were little no more,, fine young women
they were,, all aglow and happy,, and the young couple also did I see…
They were older too,, but still a handsome couple they were,,
a perfectly matched pair...

Again I did leave them to there own merriment in that room,,
for I was just an intruder,, and I did not want to disturb them….
So back into the very first room did I go,, and again it changed
before me,, and brightly lit it was from a golden hue,,
sunny and bright,, and again the room was filled with happy guests,,
and merriment... Laughter and giggling from wall to wall did it seem,,
and then she did appear upon the staircase along the far wall,,
a fine young women all in white was she,, with a bouquet of flowers,,
and her sister by her side,, the sister was a fine young women too,,
and with just small tears streaming from her eyes,,
a reception it was,, for a new bride and a new groom,, from the
staircase she did walk,, to her groom by the door,, a tall strapping
young man with a farmers golden tan,, he did look much like the
young man at the kitchen table that I saw,, just moments before...
Then out the door together they did go,, to start a new life upon
some other dusty road,, yes,, they were there too,, a proud mother
and father upon this joyful day,, he was older now and a little weary
from his years of labor,, his hair just beginning to show the silver
than soon would be there,, and she was beside him as always,,
still a pretty women with a radiant glow,, but perhaps a little
thinner than the last time I saw her,, during that holiday feast,,
from just a moment before….
Then the images they did fade,, into this good night,, no more
laughter or merriment did I hear,, only the soft whispers of
this starry night...

Upon the days first light did I awaken,, from my slumber upon
that dusty floor…
Had I just been dreaming of things that might have occurred??
Or did this house show me who she really was??
Now I did gather up my things,, to again journey apon that dusty
road,, and as I looked about,, I noticed footprints upon the
dusty floor,, many more than I could have made,, and of many
more sizes than my two shoes have... Then I realized that this old
home had shown me what she was like in her younger days,,
a shelter for young lovers,, and for families and happy gatherings
and yes,, she could still care for a weary traveler from the
dusty road… A home she still was,, not just some broken down
shack,, but a home of memories and good times,, still a good
shelter from the storm,, for those that pass this way and lay apon
her dusty floors….
Now as I left that day to continue my journey,, I did softly close
the picket gate that swung there upon rusty hinges,,
and I did look back,, for perhaps I did hear just a quiet sigh…
And thus I did shout to her…
"You have done well,, you have done your purpose,, my fair lady,,
for you have lovingly sheltered one and all,, and when I return upon
this dusty road,, I will again be pleased to be sheltered by your
welcoming arms”…