I can still hear it ~ that bell
Ringing through the neighborhood
It meant so many things back then
Time to say goodbye to my friends for now
Dinner is almost ready
Homework needs to be done
Come in for a shower or bath
It was the signal before dark
It was the alarm before bed
It was the sound that kept me out of trouble
Or at least kept my trouble to a minimum
How I hated that bell at times
The end of everything fun I would say
Everyone knew what it meant
We were trained ~ like Pavlov’s dog
Without salivating
Unless tears of frustration counted
I once hid that bell
My father then learned how to whistle
Really
Really
Loud
I gave the bell back
And now as I have grown
I can still hear it ~ that bell
Reigning me in if I strayed too far
It was my beacon, my lighthouse, my North star
My external world doing what was best for me
Bringing me back to where I needed to be
Where there was worry if I didn’t appear
It was, in actuality a sound of caring and concern
Limits and structure
It became the sound of loving parents
It always brought me home
At the end of my day ~
And when all was said and done
That’s where I wanted to be all along
So when I hear a bell, I smile softly to myself
Seeing my mom on the porch
Wanting her daughter to be safe
Not a bad memory to treasure after all
Copyright © 2007 / all rights reserved
~ ~
May you always hear your bell
Taking you where you need to be most
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