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
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