Be That Rock

Be That Rock by Michael R. Burch for George Edwin Hurt Sr. When I was a child I never considered man’s impermanence, for you were a mountain of adamant stone: a man steadfast, immense, and your words rang. And when you were gone, I still heard your voice, which never betrayed, "Be strong and of a good courage, neither be afraid ..." as the angels sang. And, O!, I believed for your words were my truth, and I tried to be brave though the years slipped away with so little to save of that talk. Now I'm a man— a man ... and yet Grandpa ... I'm still the same child who sat at your feet and learned as you smiled. Be that rock. I don't remember when I wrote this poem, but I will guess around age 18. The verse quoted is from an old, well-worn King James Bible my grandfather gave me after his only visit to the United States, as he prepared to return to England with my grandmother. I was around eight at the time and didn't know if I would ever see my grandparents again, so I was heartbroken—destitute, really.