Requiescat in pacem
sitting in
my car
on my way to buy groceries
a picture came unbidden
as he was before he went away
so thin, so peaceful and so quiet
my burly father become small and bony
my loud boisterous father become silent
able to communicate only by tears
unable to tell jokes or to sing songs
to play guitar
to laugh or make me laugh
and all must leave
in time
but why so soon
why so irrevocable the goodbye
why this grief that tears
with sharpened teeth
engulfing all
The 2River View, 3_4 (Summer 1999)