(a version of this poem first appeared in The Deronda Review, Vol. IX No. 2; reprinted by permission)
The house, where he once lived, stands empty.
He wonders if its rooms remember
his son’s singing, his daughter’s laughter;
if pink and white azaleas still line
stone steps to purple lilacs planted
by his young children for their mother;
if roses seeded for a loved dog
will bloom in spring.
He sees the setting sun,
the coming darkness;
aims memory’s lamp at dusk,
carefully tending its wick.
Gershon Ben-Avraham writes poetry and short stories. Kelsay Books published his poetry chapbook God’s Memory in 2021. Ben-Avraham holds an MA in Philosophy (Aesthetics) from Temple University.