by Douglas J. Lanzo
Copyright 2022
First published in Clean Fiction (Winter Edition 2022)
Sometimes, my soul lies still,
seeking a voice of wisdom
to respond…
to silent pain within,
as I ponder, in sober reflection,
why those who bring
most cherished moments
of love and joy, to our lives,
are sometimes — abruptly —
taken from us,
even as we embrace
their loving warmth and goodness.
Perhaps in enriching the lives of so many,
they have fulfilled
the work appointed for them,
brightening this dark and troubled world.
Perhaps without their loss
others, inspired by their memory,
would not take up their mantle
and further their good works.
Perhaps, it is in times of suffering,
that we in love do realize
life’s greatest meaning,
practicing what matters most.
Perhaps, God simply has ordained it time
for them to graft their shoots
of leafy green sprouted from seeds of faith,
and nourished by deeds of love,
onto a fruited tree — of life,
towering, eternal… basking
in the brilliance of light
from the very face of God —
shining brightly down upon them,
yet with a loving softness,
from which they… shall never blink.