The Lone Sentinel- a Challenge by Bill Holland-Aka Billybuc
The old rugged fireplace standing alone and so majestically tall
Concrete bricks chipped and worn, some lying quietly against the old stone wall
The memories it must cherish held within the hollow wall inside
Mom, Dad, Timmy and Susie, Grandma Millie and Grandpa Bob, Sammie their beloved dog who embraced the happy family until the sad day he died
The fireplace kept the family warm and cozy so many winters yore
It kept the homemade bread warm wrapped in cheesecloth just outside the old hinged door
It popped corn for many years, with lit candles emitting a scent, a celebration of happy cheer
It kept an iron pot of water warm hanging from the polished hearth
It kept the newborn babies warm after each joyful birth
The old home place stood for a century after the family left their earthly abode
Until a tornado swept it away one dark march day, wooden shingles ripped apart covering the old country road
The Fireplace refused to surrender standing tall among the fallen trees
Today the trees returned to give shade to the lone sentinel, caressing it with their soft summer breeze.
