A few years ago, when the granddaughter of a co-worker died, I wrote a little free verse poem for the girl's parents. I would have had no clue what to say to someone going through such grief, but in a poem you can say almost anything. I wanted to tell them of my assurance that their daughter was not lost to them forever, but without sounding too preachy. Though it's not as good as the Hermit's recent effort, this is what I came up with:
When Bright Eyes Are Dimmed
When bright eyes are dimmed
And closed in death’s embrace,
And the loss is felt more than seen,
The days of grief seem endless.
You mourn out your days
And the intolerable nights
In the fear that you’ll forget
Those eyes, that smile, that touch.
And though in time you sleep again
It’s never quite so peaceful as before,
And still you say goodnight
To the memory of brightness.
Then one day you’ll close your eyes
To the wonder that is the world,
To find waiting a familiar escort,
Whose glory is only matched
By the brightness of eyes.
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