Once upon a time
A cold Michigan summer
Sharply kissed young cheeks-

A tender, wondering face
Laid eyes on a special place.

Rolling, midnight waves
And a fast, white boat
Carried the young traveler-

To a victorian isle,
Imagination running wild.

Wide, cobblestone streets,
Traveled by stately equines,
With candy shops and tourist stops-

Animal and Lilac aromas danced,
Leaving the visitor quite entranced.

Heavy hooves pounded pavement,
The daffodil buggy lunged,
Atop a hill the great house sat-

Legendary in stature,
A prop with a backdrop of azure.

In the quaint, floral room
Five windows gazed to the south,
A quiet line of heavy trees-

Beckoning to be explored,
A hallowed voice not to be ignored.

From a cedar path,
A most captivating sight,
A tranquil cherub fountain-

He shouted water to the sky,
While ambling roses clamored by.

Deeper still into the wood,
The whisper of the water
Brought the inquirer to the wall-

A stone cliff for secret lovers,
Over which old spirits hovered.

And for two weeks there was childhood,
Imagination running wild!
Caves to see and stones to turn-

Stories to be heard and thought of
About ghosts and courtly love-

The last time reality seemed
To intertwine with dreams,
For it is fondly thought of now-

As the last of a child’s memory,
The whole of a young heart’s treasury.