By: Emma Mellgren
Nov 10, 2007
A Window in Time
I see dough, batter, and mixes of all kinds,
I see crackling fires,
and overflowing bathtubs,
I see zoos and pet stores that stretch for endless time
from one Long Lake, to the other Long Lakes.
I see Honeycrisp apples that are like bowling balls,
and big, bright bumble bees buzzing all around me.
I see Lefsa,
and books that are so thick
that you’d think they actually ate their contents.
I see Molsknesses crowding around me
like a tornado swishing around me,
and the countless Edmund Magnus Mellgrens making a bigger circle around them.
I hear voices from my present and future yelling too loud,
and comforting don’t frown,
and I feel Scottish and Norwegian blood rushing through me,
even though through the eyes of a five year old, there is no difference.
In a portal to the past I see Dad’s first grade roots week,
to Kelly’s first IQ test.
I see a garden from the past filled with happy corn stalks,
and a future stock market that will rapidly be changing.
I am still looking for the missing pages from a blank Diary
that was never lost, but will never be found. Only the future will tell.
But I will still forever be searching for the pages that tell all,
but in my heart I know that in truth,
I would rather patiently wait for the surprises ahead,
and enjoy them while I can,
for they too will someday join the floating pages of a diary of my past that may only a few times be revisited.
A couple of comments.
Minnesota has been reported to have more than 10,000 lakes and not a small number of them are named Long Lake.
When I was young, I had to do an oral report on my “roots”. My father, who strongly ojected to anyone being anything other than an American, told me that I was from Outer Mongolia. I dutifuly reported to my class mates that I was from Outer Mongolia, and I remain the butt of many jokes to this day.
Please let me know if this is any good as I am only an unobjective proud father.