Wearing his trunks in the hotel pool,
My eyes stinging from his absence
and the heavy chlorine in the water

Jacuzzi, as agitated as my heart,
and just as empty

I soak in the hot and turbulent flow,
Remembering lively conversations
Wishing there would be more

It’s a crisp evening,
the sky clear,
Populated with stars and memories

I remember too his pain,
The agony that immobilized him,
extinguished his vitality

At long last the timer shuts off
The waters turn tranquil

I see again the peaceful beauty of his final place
Am comforted in his choice
Serenity and final destination
At last, freed from pain

It calms me

The knowing of it releases my own

I need not follow his specific path

I accept the loss
try to heal
Replacing each sad memory
with some joyous moment from our mutual past

Copyright © 2018 John Dillon

JP

I’m the son of Patrick of Meadows.