As a child, I often played in the attic Games of dress-up as little girls do And daydreamed of far away places Wondered what kind of life I'd pursue An old trunk sat in a dark corner Clothed in cobwebs and layers of dust Curious about what secrets it held I touched the lock that crumbled from rust Opening that treasure trove of memories Gave me daydreams that lasted for years Trying on old hats and scarves and shoes And looking at Mom's various souvenirs A certain picture I found reminded me Of Scarlett in Gone With The Wind My mind made up stories about who she was In those long ago hours of pretend One day, I asked Mom about the picture Of the lady whom I had dubbed Southern Belle She said there were things I was too young to know And that she'd explain it to me after a spell Years passed and I was too old to daydream Or play in the attic with my mystery friend Marrying and raising a family of my own With my own little girls playing pretend Knowing all things must come to an end My parents' death still broke my heart They had guided and protected their only child And left a legacy of wondrous love to impart In the Family Bible, I found an envelope With my name written in Mom's fine script My adoption papers and the photograph were there The secret behind it finally stripped With no one left to answer my questions I knew I'd just have to leave it at that Except that now I knew the truth about The beautiful lady in the big floppy hat Kathleen McCoy Eldridge© August 5, 2007 All Rights Reserved          Midi ~ "En La Luz"
Barefoot's Midi Jamboree