Ghost Chairs In a storm

    These old fashioned lawn chairs, made from steel with curved welded parts assembled in some long closed Iowa factory, have moved several times from their original homestead, on Bellamah Street. They used to sit in our childhood back yard under a cherry tree that grew tart cherries for Mom’s pies.Their final stop finds them in my townhouse front yard under a shade tree. These two used to be a factory sprayed green,but, in succeeding years ,were hand painted white to match changing decors.They used to share back yards with green swing sets but now are the only surviving outdoor furniture from our elementary and preschool days.. Moments ago a freak summer hailstorm blew into Albuquerque and this photograph, just after the storm, is ghost like. I can see my parents sitting in these ghost chairs, mom sketching and dad reading the newspaper. I too will be gobbled up by time. Till then I enjoy reclining in one of these chairs on warm evenings, watching the stars late at night when they are the brightest, listening to the wind rustle leaves above my head. I’m planning on stripping off their paint, down to the metal, re-priming and re-painting them green. Putting things back the way they were has been on my mind a lot lately.