I CLOSED MY EYES
5/12/2006

I closed my eyes and
Thought about the many places I had been
I thought about the many words I had read
And even the words I had written

My eyes remained shut and ..

My mind wondered to far off lands
Where meadows are full with green things
Where trees have endless amounts of leaves
Where mountains wear white hats
Where valleys hold soft streams
Where the canyons in the earth capture untold beauty

My eyes remained shut while

My mind thought about scenes in movies
Oceans all blue and full of anger while feeding small fishing boats
White houses with Cobalt blue trim that line the Grecian streets
The splendor of cathedrals
The magnificence of golden bridges
The loveliest smiles on the faces of children who have hunger as a part of their lives

I closed my lids tighter and my nose remembered …..
The smell of coffee
The baking of bread
Countless cooking by the beach
The fragrance of a woman
The sweat of a child
My grandfathers’ pillow

My ears recalled…

The sounds of the music of my first dance and how I stumbled
The words of my mother when I pained
The first utterance of my child at birth
My cat - in the day – in the sun – on the porch – making purring sounds endlessly
The sound of talking in the house

My stomach sent me a message and I remembered my hunger

The ache grumbled and was real
I opened my eyes – looked at the earth
And saw that …

I was sitting
In my yard
Buttocks on ground
My back was leaning to the bent shape of a Divi tree
My head was cradled on my arms and they rested on my knees
I looked at the earth
The earth was made of brown sand
The millions of dead leaves that had become a brown mulching powder

Sweat was falling from the point on my nose
I saw that I was wearing torn tennis shoes
There was the smallest piece of a broken toy off to the side
An old wooden thread-spool, which was stained by time, sat listlessly
In front of me was a line of ants carrying bits of ‘white’ something
Even, like our small island - in the world of ants, the queen is powerful

And understood that

Everything in my past had inadequately prepared me for this bit of splendor.
This fleeting moment of eloquence

With care not to disturb the ants,
I reached down and took Aruba’s’ earth in my hand
Smelled it
The earth that lives under trees is soft and brown
I put it to my lips
And
Tasted home
My hunger left me and never looked back



Charles Croes
5/12/2006

charles, i got goose bumps when i read your post. truly, there is no place like home, for that is where the heart is and your heart is as big as all outdoors.

Great Charles. Mi'n tabata sa cu bo ta poeta tambe.

Very nice C.C. Thanks for sharing this with all us Aruba lovers.

I have a poem also, a mini-mini one:

(Dont laugh, here goes)

I DONT NEED YACHTS OR LEER JET PLANES, EXPENSIVE CARS OR JEWELS----

ALL I NEED IS TIME IN ARUBA
CAUSE TO ME, ARUBA RULES!


We love Aruba and I love writing the words, I Love Aruba!

Does not make much sense

Hi Charles:

Everything you say, whether in the form of a beautifully worded poem or advice to those that have the good fortune to visit your island for the first time or one of many times, enrich the experience of having visited the island and/or having the pleasure of meeting you.

God bless you and your family and friends.

Ed

Charles,

This poem, what can i say. It fills me with warm feelings, LOVE. Thank you

I can't wait until we return.

Greetings from Sweden
Tina

Richard,
I guess it doesn't. I read it several times after having written it and knew that it meant a great deal to me but honestly wondered if it would mean anything to others.

Oddly enough, I have received a great deal of mail on this little snippet. Mostly from people as sensless as I am.

Be well
charles


Author: RICHARD DREW (---.cncdnh.east.verizon.net)
Date: 05-14-06 00:53

Does not make much sense

rubacal,
Elequent to say the least. Can I have your permission to include it in a small publication of poems and snippets about Aruba? As a matter of fact, have you considered putting music to the words?
Be well
charles

I DONT NEED YACHTS OR LEER JET PLANES, EXPENSIVE CARS OR JEWELS----

ALL I NEED IS TIME IN ARUBA
CAUSE TO ME, ARUBA RULES!

C.C.,Do whatever enlightens and strikes your fancy.

Your personal endorcement is all I need from it all!
Please always remember the words I wrote to you, gee already years ago by now:

Our posts will never please everyone and even all the inspiring and lovable words you pen will be frowned upon by the very few on rare occasions. Consider their inept and self-serving comments as complimentary.
Your inimitable talent to generate deep feelings within and then elevate them to the surface and lastly share these generated feelings with everyone is God given.

Nay-Sayers of such talent do not cherish the maker or value what has been shared. They unfortunately are covetous and envious of the talent....hence the negativity comes out. Why? Its due to their inability to share as you do!
Admiration for talent should always be appreciated.

Cordially, R.C.