The Vast Landscape

From the comfort of home, inside the sturdy cherry oak fortress, she hears the children outdoors. Voices play in her streets, and so it goes. The time path cannot be stopped. This makes her smile and somber in tandem. Harrison’s fragile, aged mother remains forever young in her mind. Her mom sits across from her on the couch. Harry rubs her feet, watches her doze painfully aware time is moving too fast. They have mere minutes left, not long ago lazy days in the thousands. Oh, if she could give some of them back, maybe it would stop. The deep lines etched across her mother’s beautiful face, the crude reminder it does not. Harry knows she is responsible in part for the depth of worry, pain and sadness written on her face. She prays she brought her joy, happiness and pride. Harry, the grown up understands better now. The choices her mom made were never really choices at all. She gifted away her hopes and dreams. She gave them willingly, taking on responsibility instead.