I remember her sleeping peacefully,*

The room’s white, sterile walls enclosing us.

Family gathered around,

Watching attentively like wide-eyed children,

Captivated by every syllable of a story.

I remember watching the tiny, frail body:

A body that scarcely resembled her.

The eerie resonance of air

Traveling in and out of weary lungs,

Slow, meticulous and deliberate.        

I remember that gentle smile

Etched across her crinkly face.

Drowsy eyes taking in the sight  

Of each of those she cherished most in life.

I remember the words meant to soothe us,

That the eternal place she would be in

Could be our home also.

I remember hearing one final, peaceful breath.

Silence encompassed the room,

And gentle she laid

As her life left its body

To decay on this wretched earth.

I remember the body she left behind,

Empty and worthless without the soul inside.

Instead, now enjoying the presence

Of One far greater than all.

I remember no service to commemorate her.

No cold, gray stone engraved with letters and numbers;

Marking the beginning and end of an existence.

For these are merely vicious reminders

Of the brevity of one’s lifetime.

Yet, the earth continues its rotation

And people progress through life,  

Oblivious to the demise of this great woman,

Whether or not the world sees,

Our memories of her are branded

Indefinitely in our minds.

*special thanks to Gregory Orr for the first line