Close to the Heart

Close to the heart is a secret place
where dreams are stored away,
and sturdy candles of faith are kept
against a darker day.

And there, too, are the memories --
The laughter shared, the tears,
the little things that mean so much,
seen through the mist of years.

Our deepest wishes, deepest loves,
the burdens that we bear --
the essence of our being
Lies in what we harbor there.

To each his own-- a hideaway
That has no counterpart--
The treasure house of the soul that lies
Somewhere close to the heart.

- Helen Marshall