The Reunion

[Helen Cooper]

I went home this summer,
Back to the place of my birth,
Strolled down the country lane of my youth
Where unassuming stone fences guard
The tranquility,
Picked wildflowers and ferns along the way,
Gave a soliloquy amid stone sentinels
Whose etchings I knew too well.
I heard a bird respond with sweet solace,
A gentle breeze cooled the warm tearpath
On my cheek.
"Hi Mom, I'm home."

[urban dog]

A touching and vivid poem about a tearful reunion at a graveyard. The imagery is clear and I like the way it builds to the final line (especially: "I heard a bird respond with sweet solace, / A gentle breeze cooled the warm tearpath" echoing "country lane" and then surprising the reader with: "On my cheek") But then -- ouch! -- the cliché.