and I never heard his voice this way
from a mountain, yet-
weak, trembling and reaching
“I am going, I am going, david”
I conversed with normalcy in the situation
for what do you do
who is prepared for these times
even though we all come to these times
and prepare for them, we come to them

on this eve;
I will remember the quiet cold
a throbbing silence in the night
I go about routine
a lone goose in the far starry distance
I think I can actually see
the sad lonely bird across
and I hear a sad lonely honk
not sure if this is the last migrant
flowing south
across this december new jersey sky
one more time
for all the wrappings
all the human might
I am helpless
a babe, once again, I am reduced

I wanted to tell him more
to make him want to come back
to spend one more afternoon on the deck
soaking in the sun
like some ancient aztec god
as if the sun was beaming only for him
maybe it was
and I long for him
to have one more time
in that glory of the sun
with no pain, no worry
just a mere moment of simple life
one more time
just for him, as much as for me
to say good bye,
not like this, on this call
family walled off in cells
deprived of touch
I have no cause to petition the lord
I have no cause greater than any
I have nothing to barter, nothing to trade
but for love
from whom that from which I was raised
a model of imperfection
which is the beauty of humanity
for in that imperfection
we find eternity –
in love
for those – our family.

notes… regardless of the vehicle, death comes, so what then, for the living, I still smile, because the universe has taught me to be alive, so be alive – and love – the greatest of these is love…