Both couldn’t believe what they were seeing,

a beautiful valley with a flowing stream,

and a little old wooden cabin,

together they whispered its a dream…….

They asked each other the question,

Wonder is grandma went down there,

then they both laughed at the notion,

yeah she would have gone there……

Come on lets follow her dare,

I’m sure she wants us to go there,

who cares if it’s on Maori land trust,

we’ll say the mountain sent us…….

They laughed as they jumped into their vehicle,

there was now a road going that way,

things have changed since grandma’s day,

some changes dont change people…….

Drove along the valley floor,

crossed a wooden bridge over the stream,

the place looked deserted it seemed,

they knocked on the creakey old door……

Tried to peer through a window,

covered in cobwebs and caked with dust,

from the roof an old sprouting hung low,

the tinned chimney had turned to rust…….

Again they knocked hard on the rickety old door,

the hard knocking opened it slightly ajar,

looks like no one lived here anymore,

thought about returning to their car…….

Looked at each other in a strange way,

felt something was urging them on,

like their grandmother was with them today,

telling them to go inside nothing is wrong…….

Entering through the narrow door,

saw it was musty damp with thick mould,

there was moss on the dampen floor,

looked eerie and felt cold…….

Standing in the middle of the room,

and gazing at the rotting walls,

old newspaper war clippings hanging in the gloom,

a shaft of sunlight through a gaping hole…….

An old decaying mattress laid on the floor,

broken bed frame stood in the corner,

a dusty stringless guitar behind the door,

didnt make the place any warmer…….

Yet as they stood amongst this gloom,

felt at ease in this one big room,

felt a warm breath come over them,

like they were in grandma’s arm’s again……

They held one anothers hands,

both whispered grandma was here,

we have nothing to fear,

what these walls saw must have been grand…….

Tears of love swelled in their eyes,

as they gazed around the place,

they knew grandma brought them here today,

this was once her paradise…………..to be continued……….