Two Bags of Silk

I summoned my heart to a meeting
But the stairs to the first floor were blocked
So, we settled to meet in the basement
When the key could be found to unlock.

We searched all the cupboards and emptied the drawers
Threw back the drapes and searched under the floors
But the key was still missing and had been for years
So we smashed off the lock and descended the stairs.

The light switch was broken and the stairs were unsafe
Damp rose and hit you like a rain storm in May
No words were spoken as we groped in the dark
For we knew at the bottom we would find life’s ark.

A small beam of light came in from the grill
We both stood within it – keeping perfectly still
For there in the corner under a pile of old cloaks
Stood our ark of the future with a lid made of gold.

Trembling hands turned the small polished key
Then opened the lid - not too far just to see
And there in the bottom were two bags of silk
One marked forgiveness – the other life’s milk.

So we drank from the second having shared out the first
And ascended the stairs where the light switch now worked
A sweet smelling air drove the damp from my bones
As I realised myself and my heart had come home.