I walked in the building this morning
And the smell that hit me
Is not one I'd expect at work
But it smells like someone has made toast
Oh man, I still smell it even in my office
So, I close my eyes
Take another breath
And let it carry me away
Back to days long ago
Back to cool summer mornings
Spent at my grandparents' cottage
Down on the island
Inside the cottage it's nice and warm
From the sun shining through
The picture windows
The smell of toast fills the air
Still sleepy, I sit at the table
First chair on the left
Between Mommy and Grammy
Who sits at the end of the table
And asks what I'd like for breakfast
As she pours me a cup of tea
A little cream and sugar
Umm, that feels good
As it warms my hands
As well as my tummy
I take another long breath
Tears immediately come
For those days are gone now
My grandparents have passed on
The cottage has been sold
But what I wouldn't give
To be a child again
To feel that warmth now
The sun on my back
As I sit at the table, drinking tea
And eating toast with Grammy's
Homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam
That image makes me smile
And I realize the smell caused
Me to return to my childhood
And I may not have actually
Felt the warmth of those days
But I can still remember it
And I can go back there again
Anytime I'd want
So, I'd like some toast please
4.24.02
The oddest thing happened at work this morning. From the moment I walked into the building, I could smell toast. That's just not a smell I associate with work. But there must have been a toaster somewhere in the building. What amazed me was that I could still smell it once I'd gotten upstairs into my office. So, I turned on my computer, took a deep breath, sat back, and enjoyed the ride.
While I was writing the poem, I visualized the inside of the cottage and the place where I used to sit at the table. And I wondered just how I got the position of sitting between my mother and my grandmother. Looking back now, it really doesn't matter now how I got it, I'm just glad I did. I feel very honored that I was allowed to sit between them.
This is a photograph of my grandparents cottage, which my mother and one of her sisters were to inherit. But it was a sold a few weeks before my grandfather passed away, last year. When my mother told me they had sold it, I was pretty devastated. I remember feeling that part of my childhood had been sold along with it.
And these are some of my favorite photos taken around the island.
Copyright © 1983-2012 Roarin' Fire, All Rights Reserved
Site design by Kodi Wolf