1. Tollie's Garden Pt.1


    Date: 3/15/2016, Categories: Love Stories, Author: Sisyphus, Rating: 6, Source: LushStories

    with the lamp, picked up the notebook and came back to the table and sat down, turning the pages, looking for the lines he wanted to read, then he adjusted his glasses, tugged at his beard. “Okay, here goes. This poem is called, Following Dawn. I’m imagining I am above the world following the rising sun and moving across the world and I’m looking down at everything.” He looked into my eyes, cleared his voice and read slowly. There was something in his voice that was different, as if he went into a trance. I can’t remember all the words, but it was like music, and even after all of these years, I still remember these lines, and I want my words soaring through the sky to touch the hearts below me, praying I can love myself enough to love the ugly, the evil, the killers, the vultures, and with my words wake the innocence they were born with, the goodness they’ve forgotten. He looked up at me after reading those lines and closed his eyes as if holding back tears, and I felt like I was going to cry too. He was reading with so much feeling, the words pouring out of him. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him as he read, thinking about his voice and these words I have never forgotten. Oh, if only I could say these final words, be heard and leave behind one song that makes a difference, I’d gladly leave the dawn to others. He took a deep breath when he finished, closed his notebook and ...
    looked away as if holding back tears again, then smiled. “It still needs work but that’s what I was writing this afternoon.” “Wow, that was amazing. You’re really good, and I love how you read the poem. I had tears listening to you.” “I’ll give you a copy of it when it’s finished, if you’d like?” He placed the poem on the table. “I would. I really would. Thank you.” I realized that although we read poetry in school, I had never heard anything like that. I was floored. “Thank you for bringing the lasagna and surprising me. This has been nice.” “Thanks for the salad. I better get going,”I said, standing up and reaching for the plates, but not really wanting to go. “Leave them,” he said. “I’ll bring them over in the morning.” He walked me to the door and just before I left, he kissed me on the forehead, “Goodnight, Sarah and thank you.” He spoke softly with that sweet smile on his lips. I was dizzy with thoughts and feelings when I went home, surprised at how Tollie had touched something in me I didn’t know existed. I was intrigued, fascinated and amazed to discover this man who had been living a hundred feet from me for two years in our carriage house, and who I had hardly ever paid attention to and had thought was weird had captivated me. In my bedroom, I went to the window and saw him sitting in his chair reading and wondered if I could ever be alone and content. (to be continued)
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