by

When death do us part

If I go first
don’t weep and reel
or let sorrow fill you.
Keep your tears.
But,
place my picture on the mantel,
remember summers in the sun,
and smile.
Though I won’t see it
it’s comforting to me now
to know you’ll remember me
with joy.

If you go first
I will not cry.
I’ll be dry and dusty.
Empty,
like a forgotten room
in winter.
I’ll keep your photograph
on the pillow
where your sleeping head should be,
and dream of when
we were young and smooth
and love was all we knew.

3 thoughts on “When death do us part”

  1. My husband and I were parted by death after 24 years of marriage. Oh, there were tears. To hold them back, to be masked in smiles or dry like the winter is too damaging. We need their water to keep “smooth” and supple. I keep his picture on the dresser, many more on my computer, and millions in my head. Imagining death is a compelling exercise, but I like Walt Whitman’s line: “To die is different from what anyone supposed, and luckier.”

    Reply

    • I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. I’m not sure that we can ever predict our reactions to any situation really. That is a wonderful line, and I wouldn’t be so presumptuous to think I can write anything as well. I just put these verses down from the heart. x

      Reply

      • And your exploration of your heart is a very important journey! Moments are transitory, the path becomes illumined step by step. Your heart is a fascinating place. 🙂

Leave a Comment

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s