June 1984

Landmarks

Mouse houses

       (private tale, oft’ told)

in ragged

windswept lines

Opa and his flock

hard at play

again

Laughter

on care free winds

gently tossed about

with

clattering notes

of the children’s vanes

hand built

with love

painted

with joy

Times

remembered forever

as forever

closes in

“You’re never too old to build mouse houses!”

Ben to Opa van Dyke.

In memory of Ben Prinzen, 1966-1983.

Opa followed him later, 1899(?)-1996.