WHEN A FRIEND DIES

by 
Gwen Austin

Copyright 1998

We are sorrow-filled,
yet we would not have willed
continued suffering-pain.
And lo, good memories 
are our gain.

After the ache and horror
of a friend ascending
from this life,
we eagerly await the morrow
of good memories.

We dare not ask ‘why?’
a friend must die.
It is the fate
we all await.

So we count our blessing
of good memories
of the friend
who’s just ‘round the bend.

When we water dahlias and roses,
we remember.
When we see his whimisical gift--
a stuffed angel bear--
we remember.

When we gaze across the bay
where he, too, gazed one day,
we remember.

When we write,
 e-mail
 or phone other friends,
we remember.

Each Fourth of July
we’ll remember
our final visit together.

When a friend dies,
we remember.






Sunset picture and rippling lake courtesy of David Griffiths.
 The button below will take you to his page.



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