VI. A Little Fall Of Rain
Several days back, I saw the date
And thought upon the years of late;
My daring endeavours to spy upon
The girl I loved in days now gone.
It is not hard to catch the news
Of the merry life of my faded muse
Through grapevines, letters, talk and such;
I have learned she is not lacking much-
Or so they say, but who can trust
Those say what they feel they must?
Despite the clash of the last year's spree,
I felt I had to go and see
Tara, that place that strangely holds
For me, sweet memories amidst her folds.
Even as my love grows cold,
I cannot quit those thoughts of old.
So it was to Tara I'd go
To see for myself what I wouldst know,
And on that evening, my spirits were high,
Despite the heat and the raining sky.
To walk with leisure along that road
To where did sit that nostalgic abode
Felt quite akin to happier days
Before I'd begun these brash forays.
I'd fain have kept on, but that I heard
A young voice singing idle words.
I stopped and saw through the sylvan shade
None other than beloved Wade!
I froze, by instinct, to watch the scene
Of the young boy fishing in the stream,
And quite oblivious to the rain,
Going about his happy strain.
I should have crouched before he saw
But heard him gasp a breathy draw,
"Rhett!" called he as he dashed forth,
My heart then feeling the moment's worth,
For I so loved him in times long gone,
And this the first since I'd moved on
That we'd the chance to solitarily meet;
Since to his mother I'd claimed defeat.
"Yes, Wade, it's me!" I said, feeling my smile,
And we stayed embraced for just a short while.
His face revealed his question and concern,
And a fair bit of torment, from what I could discern.
"Son, it must be," said I with a sigh,
And he nodded, although I thought he might cry
For Wade was young; a boy of fifteen,
And had always been sensitive, and emotively keen.
"Mother is well," he managed at last,
And I felt my relief as my heart thudded and thrashed,
Though be sure this was fairly against my strong will,
It is foolish to think I could love the girl still!
"What else, my boy?" I said with feigned poise,
And he swallowed rather hard (for I heard the noise!)
"She is often quite strict, if her spirits are low,
But why they should falter, there's no hope to know."
I wondered at this as he relayed all his news
When suddenly, behind him, I caught sight of my muse-
My former one, that is-so be sure that I fled,
And left poor dear Wade, as still as the dead.
When he'd caught on, he turned right around
And greeted his mother, bending low to the ground.
"I am glad I've found you!" Scarlett said in a fret,
Her skirt caked with dirt and her tresses all wet,
"It's no time for fishing! Let's go on home."
But Wade did not care to be told where to roam,
"I am old enough, mother, and I'm feelin' no threat,
And besides, I have seen him! I saw uncle Rhett!"
At this I did start, and then slyly surveyed
Scarlett's white face as she stared hard at Wade.
No flicker, no falter, no delicate gasp!
She merely pulled Wade into a motherly grasp.
"Why, Wade, my poor son! You're taking on sick!
Such phantoms are tyrants, so come home now. Quick!"
And she wrapped him up warmly in the cloak off her back
And kissed his face softly before recovering her track.
(At this, I must say, I was proud of the brat:
My Scarlett, a mother! And a good one at that!)
I watched them sink deeper into the darkening wood,
And saw Wade's eyes looking back to the place where we'd stood.
My emotions felt stunned, to have been standing so near
The family I'd lost for four staggering years.
The rain came on harder now, mixing with tears,
I couldn't still love her! I said, fraught with fears,
But then, what a vision could set my heart free:
My Scarlett also turned her head back to see.