THE AUCTION

A dollar, dollar and one-half, now two, The auctioneer was crying, The crowd was standing all around, but few of them were buying.

They rifled through the meager things That once had been the pride, of a valiant little widow who had taken ill and died.

A picture showed a bridal pair, Who'd once been young and strong, But then there had been an accident, And things had all gone wrong.

The years of loneliness and strife had taken a bitter toll, But loyal and patient to the end, She'd finally reached her goal.

Yes, she had gone to be with him. she couldn't hear the clamor, of the auctioneer's loud crying and the pounding of his hammer.

She didn't hear them call it junk and fail to bid at all; She didn't see the picture break, when a stranger let it fall.

Yes, she'd been spared the heartache of seeing a dream undone, Seeing the things the two had bought, leaving one by one.

It made no difference to her now, as she slept beneath the clay; She had joined her loving husband, and together they could stay.

John L. Gwaltney

MY WIFE

Long years ago I met a girl, she became my entire life. A whirlwind romance soon began and she became my wife.

We started down life's rugged road, and vowed we'd stay together. we laughed on many sunny days and braved some stormy weather.

The children came, grew up and left. Now we're alone again, but she's still as young and beautiful as when it first began.

A stranger who just happened by might tell you she is old. Might see a wrinkle in her cheek, or hair that lost it's gold.

Might see the glasses that she wears To protect a deep blue eye. Might even say he saw a limp from a stroke that passed her by.

But love is blind and when I look I can never see the grey. Her blue eyes twinkle just as bright as they did that yesterday.

If love is Pure, complete and whole it has always seemed to me - The heart and mind has full control of what we want to see.

John L. Gwaltney