Tucked in a corner, just hidden from view
Forgotten on a cluttered shelf
This dusty old can left long unattended
Its content describes oneself

It’s been filling for years with odds and ends
Sights and sounds long since past
Love and heartache and all in between
To the brim with what would stay or not last

Take it from its place and blow of the dust
But don’t shake it to hear what’s inside
Carefully pry off the lid and have a close look
at the content kept hidden inside

It’s cluttered and dark and filled with cruft
Thoughts and collections from another time
Sift through it carefully and decipher what lies
Within this heart and soul of mine

Upend the can and let the content spill
Tiles form words scattered across the board
Gather and sort them and brush cobwebs away
Make some sense of this place they were stored

Carefully select, place and order
In predictable and structured rows
Intersecting horizontally and vertically
A crossword of familiar words you know

From a life that has known despair
Bookended with pleasure and joy
These experiences that shaped me over the years
Since the time I was but a boy

You’ve arranged in me the words that matter most
Kindness, friendship, caring and love unmeasured
In doing so you’ve shown to me your heart
In my gentle hands held, it is guarded and treasured

And now I know love and I know warmth
I know there’s a heart that shields me from the cold
When I close my eyes at night, I find comfort and peace
For you are in my dreams, watching over my soul