Funeral for a Friend
by Brooke Yool

Dearly beloved
We gather to celebrate
A life of a friend
Tragically truncated
By fate.

Biting my lower lip
And barely composed
My toe plays in the dirt
As blessings are read
And irrational thoughts
Swirl 'round my head:
Should've, would've, could've
Been there, protected her,
Prevented the toll of fate?
Logic screams no,
But the heart mourns yes.

Roses on the casket
watered by my tears
Covered by soil
For eternity.

There is reason for all
Which happens on earth --
Or so they say.
Memories remain
As well as guilt;
Irrational anger
For what could not
Have been helped.

---

Back to poetry page
Homeward bound!