Musings on the End

*This is for my friends whose life partner has gone on ahead, into the mystery beyond us all

I cannot imagine and wish never to feel
the bitter end of the twisted gnarled finish of that journey
last of the life tied to one's own
final tumble over the precipice at the very edge of breath

Here in my arms are the flowers I love
Holding blossoms out to you as if a fragrant parasol to defend
against the rain of sheer sorrow pelting, pelting as in the rain hatless

It may seem odd that I am grateful to feel you
Present with your pain
Knowing there is nothing for me to do but take it in like an aroma
Fragrance of fallen leaves and crumbling tree trunks on the floor of the forest

Today, thinking of you
Kristin ~ Jeanne ~ Beth
I walked the forest
amongst the fallen ferns, giants lying on the ground
I felt their furry tips and looked at all of them for signs of renewal
Taking the battered end of a hapu'u felled in the hurricane
I opened it and uncovered its furry essence, golden as Rapunzel's hair

For you I tucked it next to an orchid, knowing the flowers will come
Sustenance and nourishment taken from the husk of another life
All gestures have meaning
Lives are not lost, never lost
Lives carry on as the music
As sounds we have made
Somewhere beyond our hearing