A Poem by Julie A. Dickson

Mulled Over

I sit on the old porch swing,
roughened wood and frayed ropes
moving slowly with a creaky sway,
smoke curling from a heavy mug
of hot steaming mulled wine.

Rocking, I am transported back.
Memories rustle like dry leaves
pulling at the outer fringes,
an elusive fragrance I crave,
tugging and teasing at my senses.

Visions of you distorted by tears,
no sounds of laughter present now,
your touch empty from my hand.
Mulled aroma of cloves envelop me,
only cinnamon and dreams remain.

Julie A. Dickson is the author of Bullied into Silence (Piscataqua Press), Forest Nectars (Morris Publishing), as well as several young adult fiction novels available on Amazon.  Her poetry has appeared in The Harvard Press, The Portsmouth Herald, The Poet's Touchstone, Page & Spine, Van Gogh's Ear, Five Willows Literary Review, The Avocet Nature Review and Tic Toc Anthology (Kind of a Hurricane Press).  Ms. Dickson resides in New Hampshire with three rescued cats and is an active member of the Poetry Society of NH.