Look the trees
are turning
their own bodies
into pillars

of light,
are giving off the rich
fragrance of cinnamon
and fulfillment,

the long tapers
of cattails

Happy Mother's Day Aunt Susan. I know this is always an especially hard day for you so I wanted to say I love you and so does Erika. You were and still are an amazing mother to her and she would be so proud of how far the foundation has come and how many people, more people then you probably know of, that you have helped. Here's a poem that I wrote a little while ago and I hope relates to how this day makes you feel because I know this happens to me and how hard it is to have to go threw the pain all over again.

Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room,
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still,
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used.

Midnights in Winter
The glowing fire
Lights up your face in orange and gold. I see your sweet smile
Shine through the darkness
Its line is etched in my memory.
So I'd know you by heart.

You are truly the best father anyone can have
We are going to miss your hugs, kisses, and your laugh
Our minds keep telling us you are in a better place
But our hearts long to see your beautiful face

Dear Papa, my grandfather, my inspiration
This is my letter to you, showing my appreciation
I will remember all the laughs, hugs, and even your kiss
Without any doubt you will be missed

In moments like this,
I realize once more how much you meant to me.
Time has brought some healing,
and abated the pain that I felt when you died.

Now you'd be three,
I said to myself,
seeing a child born
the same summer as you.

A fire no longer glows bright,

A bird that suddenly takes flight.

An ocean switches from calm to wild,

A torrent of wind you once thought was mild.

A sturdy tree torn down in a storm,

Love suddenly changes form.

When the storms of life are raging, And the clouds are all around, And you think you're all alone, Just take a look around.

When there is no one there to talk to And you're feeling sad and blue And you think no one will listen, I'll be the light in the storm for you.

Even though we've never met, Or seen each other's smiles, Our friendship is from the heart, not sight, And it can span the miles.

We all are one winged angel, Alone it is impossible to fly, But if we embrace each other, We can span the sky.

When I lost my child,
the earth ceased to spin.
The moon will not rise,
the tide won’t come in.

The sun insists on having its way,
Blasting its rays and rising each day.
Another day comes,
my child is not here;
Another day comes,
I live my worst fear.

Each morning I wake with the same painful thought;
Why am I here when my sweet child is not?
All moments that pass, I question this fate;
While other lives carry on, I sit and I wait.

I hear it again and again,
One friend asked another how I’ve been.
How hard, really, would it be
to pick up the phone and just ask me?