It had to be now
A home of forty two years must end
I must move.

I thought of the trees
May Flower, Mahogany, Cassia and Tabebuia
That would continue to adorn the long avenues,
Color the ground orange, bright red and purple.
Some of the petals falling bondage to the fresh tarmac for keeps.

I tried to hear the morning
With sparrows, swallows, doves, green pigeons and mynas,
Watched the eagles swoop down again up and remembered
The only time I saw the paradise bird,
Its long black and white tail upwards.

There were times when a family of owls would sit waking up at dusk
And then other times when a six feet cobra would block the entire path
Winding and unwinding itself as it crossed in the shadows of dark.
I decided to walk to the marshy spot one last time, the pond
Filled with wild lotus where the sign read,

DANGER
Pond is very deep do not get in
Snakes are present in the pond
Rocks are present in the pond

At dead of night, an invitation of sorts illuminated by the stars.

The steps went down into the protected secrets, each of the lotuses
Turning into faces talking of ancestors, the families coming alive,
Our sitting together. A recurrent dream every now and then.

All the furniture, clothing and appliances now stood transported.
The curtains too hung in place, a much needed shelter from the sun's gaze.
The walls smelt of fresh paint,
The corners did not show years of strain and the book titles lay exposed
With layers of dust no longer guarding them in racks.

From room to room I staggered and stared, a stranger in her own place, until
I recalled a family picture, all of us together, daughter-in-laws, sons and their daughters.
A picture perfect now hung opposite my bed
Resurrecting this place into my home.