The dogs chasing the late autumn leaves Fluttering down the lane way The sound of the train as it passes by Peaceful afternoon walk The cottage walls and porches Flourish of colour Enwreathed with ivy green Bellflowers, hollyhocks, hydrangea Scents of lavender and sage Evoke Memories of childhood days Visiting grandparents cottages One in the Irish Wicklow mountains The other in the suburbs of Athens city The free flowing sound of the river Smoke billowing from chimneys The cottages have no pretense or grandeur Just a sanctuary of comfort in the silence of the lane Reaching the darkest corner of the soul