Saturday, April 16, 2016

Planted


When the deathiversary
rolls around each year,
we can hardly believe
it’s here again.

Wasn’t it the day before yesterday
when our hearts were still beating
and normal was something
we thought could last?

It seems like yesterday
the casket was lowered
into the earth or the ashes
were scattered by the wind;

We knew a huge chunk
of who we were 
was dead now, too.

The dirt was like a weight
on our chests, pressing, squeezing.

  We could never imagine that
  our burying was also a planting;
  that the love being sunk and scattered
  could somehow ever break through
  the sod with a shoot, a bloom,
  and perhaps flower or fruit;

    but sometimes it does,
    in ways and places we
    never could have imagined.

You have surrounded us
with the love of those
who can and do sing
the songs of faith for us,
reciting the creeds,
believing on our behalf, 
for a while, until 
we can breathe again.

© 2016 Todd Jenkins

2 comments:

  1. WitH my father's 38th yarziet this week this touches me so much

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  2. This will be the 10th anniversary of my mother’s leaving. I’m saving this to revisit when November comes.

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