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"At The Top Of The Stairs"©
This story is dedicated to remembering children growing up.
Once upon an Early December, a little girl moved into the old house on Main Street. Her name was Elizabeth Anne. She was three at the time and not at all shy.
�This one is mine!� she told her Daddy and I.
The room wasn�t fancy. The room was small. There was one bright window above the silvered cast iron radiator. There was an old porcelain sink with a huge wall cupboard above it. The cupboard had two doors and it had windows!
The room used to be a small kitchen many years ago when the woman who had lived there From the window you could see the neighbor�s house and the big blue spruce, since taken by a Summer wind.
When you looked down, you could see the side yard, where the pond dwellers now live. At night we loved to look up and watch the Moon, and still do.
There was no carpeting on the floor, just some old canvas covering. The covering on the wall was very pretty � it had golden stars! So did the ceiling! Hmm, is that what caught the little girl�s eye?
The tiny room at the top of the stairs wasn�t at all what you would imagine a little girl would want for her special place. We didn�t know it at the time but �her� room quickly became the most remembered room in the whole house.
Why? "~Childhood lives at the top of the stairs There's
A porcelain sink for babies to bathe With
Bright, quilted paper now put on each wall The
Old creaky rocker sings babies to sleep A
Carpet of blue is put on the floor The
Dresser of white, with stars and a bear Behind
Crystal doors is a gath�ring of games The
Creaky old shelf holds some Care Bears and diap'ys A
Potty-chair, yellow, used well by just three The
Crib, glazed in white, each babe�s blessed cradle As
Childhood grew up, the room was enshrined See
'lizbeth, a toddler, and all flaxen(4) curled Then
Allison comes with eyes, deep as night Soon
Lauren arrives, a wiggling sprite(6) While
Maureen is sent down from the Lady(7) above With
Thoughts in my heart of their past childhood days Lord,
Ever to You, I give You my girls If
E�er they should stray, I pray You will be for December
WORD LIST FOR THIS STORY
(1) BOARDERS - Years ago, people used to rent rooms to workers in the area from other towns until they got settled. They usually paid by the week. When I was a little girl, My Grandmother rented out the top of her barn!
(2) ROMPERS - children's coveralls - with a bib and straps; extra room in the seat!
(3) MOON-DIPPED - made of Silver and blest in the light of a Winter Moon; the Oak Moon is the December Moon, usually the first Moon of the First Season
(4) FLAXEN - pale yellow; straw-colored
(5) MAGICK - use of the end 'k' as spelled in the Old Religion
(6) SPRITE - elf, faerie, pixie
(7) LADY - explanation: my Grandmother made a promise to me before she died that she would send me one more daughter so that I could have four girls like she did! Our fourth daughter is named Maureen, "little Mary"; my Grandmother's name was Mary.
SableHawk
Because
With lacy dressed dollies and plush teddy bears
A sunny paned window to warm all our days
An orange giraffe, a bright rubber ball
While Momma nods off, no time to count sheep
For hopscotch and jacks and marbles and more
Holds rompers(2) and dresses and all things to wear
Where a little mouse plays among old picture frames
Madeline, Raggedys, blocks, and the Barbies
Becomes quickly - a planter for our small Yuletide tree
And on the far wall, an Oak Moon-dipped(3) ladle
By love, hope, and laughter and joys of all kinds
Dancing with �kitty�, around she did whirl
With dreams of deep magick(5), like flights of a kite
With nature so gentle, a daily delight
She completes all our days with laughter and love
I praise my great Lord with chanting of praise
To watch them and guide them, in this, Your grand World
With them, and in them, as thou art with me~"
© 2001. All rights reserved.
The Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20559
USA