A wave of love and
Longing washes over me ~
It’s been so long
Since last I held you
In my arms ~
My world ended
In a moment ~
But that moment
Has gone on forever ~
Though you have not ~
We speak of death
As if it were an entity ~
It is not kind or cruel
As the case may be ~
But only the cessation ~
Of this phase of life ~
The breath is stilled
The heart will beat no more ~
The fleshly envelope
Has given up its
Animating spirit ~
One learns to speak of the
Beloved in the past tense ~
But is it right to say
I ‘loved’ him ~ when I
Love him still ~
The busywork of death
Can be distracting ~
But ritual can take you
Just so far ~
I’ve had to learn
To live without you ~
I’m learning still ~