TO YOU IN THE GREAT BEYOND

I sat on the porch the other day,

Wondering….in the white plastic chair

You preferred because it fit you best,

The one that just won’t clean up now,

Has never...no matter how much elbow grease.

The four plants are on the little desk

Your mom’s Christmas cactus, all bloomless,

The arrangement you saved two years ago

From her grave, the spiky bit all that still lives,

The philodendron or whatever it is

That always looks ready to go,

To that big garden in the sky.

But always manages to hang on,

And Mrs. Peters, the fern, who always loves

Summer weather and is growing like crazy,

Fronds falling over the porch railing

Like a crazy woman’s hair don’t.

Anyway, I was wondering.

How’s it going up there?

Are you having a good time?

I try to imagine, but can’t.

I have enough trouble with reality down here.

Do you manage to get around much?

You always were a bit of a gadabout,

And I know there are lots of people

You were anxious to see

That you couldn’t see here anymore.

And no pain-that must be nice.

I know it got real bad toward the end;

A bottle of ibuprofen goes a lot further these days.

Anyway, I was wondering,

Do you ever miss me?

There are times I can’t get you

Out of my head. I see something

I think would interest you

And start to yell down the stairs

To share it with you. I have to stop myself.

You’re no longer there. Well, you are,

I suppose, but some borders

Can’t be crossed until it’s time,

Until then, I will miss you.

Eventually I had to go in,

The cats were on the other side

Of the door wondering why they were there

And I was here. They don’t understand doors.

So in order to keep peace

In what’s left of our family

I decided to stop mooning around

And go inside.

But you were on my mind,

Just like you are pretty much always.

And I thought you’d like to know

Even though I suppose you do anyway,

So they tell me…..

Chip Bergeron

-July 28, 2012