That house in the middle will stand

Year 2000 Sydney

The other day
I heard them talking
In the marketplace, at the school.

They all said,
World was coming to an end.

They all had misery
Painted on their faces,
The world they knew, was coming to an end.

They looked for their prayer books,
Polished their gods, chanted their mantras
As the world was coming to an end.

I remained unfazed in the midst of
This widespread panic and desolation.

The world might be coming to an end
But I knew that,
That house in the middle will stand.

Will stand firm
On its foundations
Built so lovingly,
By a builder exemplary.
A female in this case.

I walked home
unperturbed, confident.

The world might come to an end
But that house
In the middle will stand.

My mother supreme was there,
Looking out from the window for my sight.
She was unaware of all the fuss around
Over the world coming to an end.

She looked at ease and content.
She knew her dream was alive and kicking,
And was coming
Home to rest and rejuvenate.

She admired one more time,
Her love curried over the stove
She was ready to
spoon out flavoursome
foods for my tired body.

The world didn't come to an end
And that house
In the middle remained.