Grief

The opposite of love is not hate

nor any word other than

indifference.

When I lost my mom

I also lost my freedom

and then I lost

Everything that was important to me

What was I to do?

I couldn’t cry

I didn’t know how

I only knew why--

Nobody cared.

And that word festered

in my head, and my heart

and my soul.

It consumed me.

It was too sophisticated a word

for me to use.

But I felt it.

It stayed with me for most

of my life.

As I write this

I grieve for someone

who is dying.

He has a lot of courage

because he has given only love.

I offered him my place so that

he might rest.

He did not want it.

He did not need it.

Still he showed his respect and

his love.

He quietly found a spot

that suited his needs.

And there he rests

As brave as any warrior

Who knows his fate

He accepts his

without a whimper.

The loss is mine not his

He is true to his character

his needs, his purpose.

He lived a life of honor

By being always true to himself.

And now he is showing me there

is honor in dying

without fanfare accolades or

fancy words.

When I think of him

only one word describes

his life,

and that is love.

They say in Heaven there

is a place reserved for

those who lived worthy lives

with honor distinction and

without complaining.

So far only our pets live there.