On this gray and peaceful day
The fields beside the apartment have been turned.
The bleating sheep evacuated
In favor of simple earth.
Motorcycles still race along the autopista.
The feathers of a bird are scattered across the walkway,
But no sign of a carcass,
No indication of whether it took one last flight.
The skies, ponderous in their overcast
Still offer a bit of light in the distance
Off the mountain peak above Valldemossa.
I walk again to the Carrefour market
In search of coffee and shipping materials,
Still not quite sure
That any of this is real,
Yet knowing from my engineering mind
That nothing can be changed.
So I must do what must be done
With humility and honor and grave responsibility—
Not for my father, for he is gone—
But for my family,
And for his friends,
And for the world.
He is but one man,
One of billions who have perished
Since before we measured time.
And yet the hole I feel
For his friends and children
Seems immense,
On this gray and peaceful day.
© 2017 John P M Dillon
30th of April 2017, 10:30 am, Palma de Mallorca, España.
I’m the son of Patrick of Meadows.
A deep poem – saying it all! Your pain and the pain of all humans at the loss of a beloved one. I share the sadness of you, the Family, and the friens. Love Birgit. A longer message has been sent to your personal E-Mail adress.
Loss of a loved one is never easy. I feel your pain, and I share your sadness.
Love,
Christine