You lay now on your silver bed
flowers all around;
that seems right;
always you made your self last;
brought your book to the party
always the one to stay behind to clean up
arms always full
of emotional gifts
for each and everyone
who took shelter within them;
there was always within them
an inexhaustible supply of love and
gentle hope transferred to the hopeless
who came away still warm from those arms touch
from those late night talks and walks
supports given and renewed
all able to make a new way back to the light-
thanks to you.
All knew how limitless was your giving
but few noticed the toll it took
because you made those tolls invisible.
Who knew your way of being
left you exhausted in the long nights
where nonetheless the next day
you made your self recover
or even took the dead of night phone call
from each and every one
who never noticed in you
any hesitancy
only your giving;
never had a cat or dog
people took from you all the time;
you always gave more than asked for.
It was you who cooked the potluck dinners
made the small loans
so many times
helped to comb
the papers
with those whom needed a job
your thin arms
pointing to this one or that one.
On the day of interview
it was you standing outside
even in the dead of winter, no coat on,
to see how it had gone
to take the job seeker
out for coffee or dinner
always there to celebrate
every minor miracle
there was
for one or many.
If Devotion is true friendship
then it utters your name
if love of the other has any substance
then it came from your hands;
if drugs could be conquered
it was because
of those times heads lay in your lap
til dawn
alive again
against the overdose.
And now
for you it is this silver slab
but I saw from the moment you closed your eyes
I saw your spirit
fly
away
to nestle
quietly
in the hearts of those you touched
in the lives you saved.
Farewell
my love
to you
to whom
all my heart
was given
yet another one
touched by you
and as I wept beside you
I felt your soul rise
our two souls
then fusing.
Good bye
and Goodbye again
and thanks to you
from all
us
survivors
who now
will
see
that your spirit
continues to live.
We came down
to the morgue
before they took you off to potters field
but it didn't matter
it was fitting that you were the only one
there
with flowers
all around that silver bed
which took you off
on silver wings.
