Poem: Moving Forward

Walking by the river

behind Bessborough Garden

Scent of dry leaves

triggers memory

My bright-eyed sister and I

giggle and laugh

roll in gold-dusted leaves

raked into piles by my father

Walking by the river

past the bandstand

children gather leaves

Memory rushes in

My dark-eyed sister and I lean on rakes

Our sons pick perfect leaves

for art creations

We make plans for spring flowers

Walking by the river

Grief, my companion

Memories mark my path

leading me forward

Jeanette C. Montgomery.

JEANETTE C. MONTGOMERY began writing when her Grade Two teacher instructed the class to write about the Norman Rockwell print on the blackboard. She wrote a story about the boy and his dog and was thrilled when the teacher read it to the class. That set a lifetime pattern of writing about what she loves and inspires her.  She lived in Vancouver, B.C., Cairns, Australia and Jubail, Saudi Arabia but Saskatchewan is always home.  Jeanette has published in Write On!, Talespinners, Freelance, the Saskatoon Star Phoenix and McGraw Hill Ryerson’s Modern Morsels – Selections of Canadian Poetry and Short Fiction.  She lives in Saskatoon writing YA fiction and family history.