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A Cottage Poem That Will Make You Long for the Lake

My family loves to take a vacation at my husband’s parents’ cottage about ninety minutes from our home.  They are so very generous in allowing us to come to their second home near Scottville, MI each summer.  We enjoy spending time playing at the lake and on the water. 

At home we are far too busy to wash dishes by hand

My children have grown up spending long weekends and an occasional whole week at the cottage.  One of my grown sons is married and expecting his first child. He recently told me that he hopes for his son to grow up coming to the cottage and learning to love fishing, boating, and tubing just like he did.  It makes my mom’s heart sing when I hear that something that we provided for him as a child is important enough for him also to want to make it happen for his kids as they grow.  Of course, this could only happen through the generosity of my in-laws, for whom I am grateful.

At the cottage we enjoy a simpler life

While we are at the cottage, we enjoy a simpler lifestyle.  There is no dishwasher, so we wash all the dishes by hand.  Neither are there any fancy appliances, and the kitchen equipment is a fun assortment of old tools that have been around for years.  There is something rather charming about using bowls and pans that have been in this kitchen since my husband was a child.

There is no wifi at the cottage

At home, we are far too busy to wash dishes by hand, and it’s fun to have the newest gadgets for cooking (I’m talking about you, Instant Pot).  Here at the cottage, we remember how to mix brownies from scratch and bake them in a bent-up pan, then dig them out to eat them while still warm.  We stay awake late at night listening to the sounds of nature drifting in through the open windows.  No A/C at the cottage.

There is no wifi at the cottage.  There’s minimal cell phone signal, so a couple of times per day, I walk my phone to a clear area where the bars pop up to make sure no one is trying to reach us for an emergency.

When the children grow up

When I am here at the cottage, I am very aware of my four grown children who are living on their own and making their own decisions, all while each carries a piece of my heart around outside of my body.  My family has made so very many memories here.  This trip is one of the first where only a couple of my adult kids have been able to come and spend time here with us.  I know this is the natural path of life, and until that grandbaby and the next ones come along to begin making a whole new set of cottage memories, we will sit back, relax and enjoy the quiet experience of my one remaining child who is still with us daily.  He’s ten, and he’s not going anywhere soon.  And he is building his memories, too.

In the meantime, as I sat in the chair looking out over the lake last night, these words came to mind.  Forgive me my rudimentary poetic skills.  Many years ago I dabbled in poetry, which I loved, but it has been a long time since I’ve put pen to paper.

A Cottage Poem

A flag blows gently in the breeze

Far across the lake from where I sit in the quiet.

The sound of water laps on the seawall below

Accompanied by the zing of a fishing line being cast upon the water,

It’s only job to tempt the giant Bass swimming lazily below.

Poplar leaves flutter gently in the breeze

As the sun casts a golden glow over the scene.

The day of frolicking in the water and the sun comes to an end.

The cool evening breeze beckons

A restful sleep awaits to renew the lake and the people who love it.

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