Of House and Home – In Loving Memory of Anne Braley
by Ingrid Sutherland
A tent, a cabin, an apartment, a mansion
By the sea, in the city or tucked deep in the woods,
A shelter becomes a house
A house becomes a home
When Love and Mercy, Strength and Peace move in
Together they gather in the kitchen
The bustle of meals made and shared
Fuels and unites them
The maintenance of the mundane manifests,
Building a life made of years, days, moments together
When the warm bright sun fades into a golden glow
And slowly, as twilight falls,
Expectantly,
Or perhaps suddenly, painfully, shockingly;
The Members of the House
Gently, compassionately move to the bedside.
A heavy handsewn quilt of color and pattern,
Complete with its imperfections,
Becomes a kaleidoscope
A myriad of memories,
Of sorrow, of yearning, of hope
Gratitude and the deep breath-taking sting of the soul
Collide
Spread out here, on display, is a patchwork of paradox,
Stitched together with the threads of faith, hope and love.
A quilt of comfort
Here, as evening falls, the Members of this House remain
Love and Mercy, Strength and Peace offer a shelter
A shelter battered by the winds and rain, sorrow, and pain
Yet a shelter still
One that has become
A House to support the weary,
To comfort the broken, to carry the hurting
As one by one they find their way
Home
