Passing Words

PASSING WORDS (In memory of my father) Do you remember when I was six ? So full of energy and dreams... You said, “Go to school and fill your head with books And your heart with prayer”. So I did ... and that worked for a while. Until I was sixteen and looking for my way, So full of rebellion and rage. You said, “Don’t change the world But find your place in it”. I thought about this and realized they were not Just passing words but a code to live by. And that worked for a while. Until I was thirty with three girls in tow And I was confused, looking for meaning in my life. You said, “Don’t look to the sky for answers Just look into those little eyes, there’s the meaning of life”. So I did... and that worked for a while. Until I reached middle age and felt mortality grip me deeply And sorrow wrapped my soul like heavy chains. In the midst of my darkness you said, “This is the cycle of life, flowers grow, bloom and wither. Healing will come”. I came to realize These were not just passing words But the process of living. And that worked for a while. Until now when I have to seal myself from the anguish Of seeing you pass into shadow. And as I wallow in the pools of Why and What For I hear you say, “Remember me in your heart, I will live forever there”. I hope that works for a while.