Quaint wood paneling
Harkens back to times, simpler
And to the point
Family extended and unfurled
Like a great heron
Making her nest home
Aunts and grandchildren
Taking flights of fancy
Through musty pages and beyond
Sacred moments sharing stories
Visited the first, second
And hundredth time round
House full of comedy, tragedy,
Drama, and the gentle, long
Silences of reading space shared
Brownstone known as safe haven
To family, friends, neighbors
Kindred and kin
Bustling holidays brimming
Get-togethers going on
Wayfarers welcomed and cherished
Time, energy, sacrifice and love
Abundant, grateful, elastic
As loaves and fishes
This was and is still
A sanctuary for all those
Near and far
With a rhyme to weave
A song to sing
Or a story to tell
