Rebirth

When I was ten years old my maternal grandmother left this earthly plain. It was the first time I would experience loss of a loved one and in a profound way. For the last days she would usually utter only one word, my name. I would hold her hand until i saw in her eyes that she had gone away. I would leave until called back again. I was thinking of this, among other things when I wrote this poem.


REBIRTH

She lay before me, in her bed
Culminating a life, so lovingly led
It would not be long, before she would go
To that place beyond, anything we know

Constantly at her side
At her request did I abide
Looking into her deep lived eyes
Until it was time to take my leave
Soon would come time, to bereave

When our time has come
And all is done
Our life force begins to wane
And in a different vane
We begin to see the other side
And those among us away do slide
The more we away do go
The more declined our bodies do show
Like a shell dropping off a butterfly
As it begins its journey to the sky
The ones left behind ask why

The tears of loved ones drop like streams
Watering that soul embracing its dreams
The sorrow we feel is for us alone
Not for the soul that journeys home

We must take heart
For we play our part
Grieving,
for those leaving
Crying
for those dying
One day our time it will be
And others will grieve our destiny
-Shiidon, May 2008