The Final Welcome

As time came once again for us to part,

neither knowing when our next meeting will be,

never quite believing there will a next at all.

I wave to you as we drive away, keenly aware that

visits have been too far apart and too few between.

Encumbered by distance travelled.

Restricted by time spent and life passed.

Standing on the shore, I think of you again,

and am reminded that life is fragile, time is not infinite and

really, there is only so much of both for us to share. Your warm hug welcomed me home,

yet I can’t help but wonder if that moment will mark the anniversary of the last time ever I see your smile.

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I went to visit my aunt on my recent vacation home. I hadn't seen her in 16 years. She's 84 now, and is the last remaining sibling of my father. I have been thinking about her a lot since, and wondering if that visit was the last time I will ever see her. That's what age does to us, I guess. Anyway, I made sure to give her an extra tight squeeze on our farewell hug.

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For Real Poetic's Anniversary challenge.