When Is A Ring Not Just A Ring Poem by Ginny Alloway Baker

When is a ring not just a ring
though gorgeous it may be?
When every time you see it
you remember a whole history.

Rings that graced an Aunt I so love
that were to her a special pleasure,
given by her sweetheart to his wife
tokens of their loves treasure.

For many years they had their place
sparkling diamonds on her hands
till came the day they were put away
because of life’s ill shifting sands.

Eventually those lovely rings
that had been such a loving token
came to be handed down to me
with more love than could ever be spoken.

To some they would be a royal find
because of their valued worth
but they are far more in my mind
from the beloved Aunt of my birth.

I see her hands back through the years
on her organ as she would play,
I recall the late night laughter and tears
when I had the chance to go stay.

So when is a ring not just a ring?
When loved ones are attached.
They carry sweet memories on a wing
because they take you back.

Dedicated to my Aunt Jeanne Alloway Parks
August 26,2005