A Stranger's Voice

A friendly voice on the phone
A voice that denoted age
But was full of warmth and caring
With a faint hint of an accent
So familiar it kept nagging
At my subconscious
Until finally I just had to ask
Where she was from
"From Michigan" was her reply
Followed by my "I knew it!"
As I listened to her talk
A smile lit up my face
She thought she'd been away for so long
That she no longer had an accent
Maybe so, but it was still enough
For me to recognize it
I told her where my grandparents used to live
She knew the town
Her brother still lives in the "Soo"
He even works on the locks
A place where I have visited
Many times in my life
But not in the last four years
Not since my grandparents died

I got off the phone
With a lump in my throat
And a tear in my eye
All from hearing
A familiar accent
From days long ago

10.16.06