Requiem

eyes welling
tearless crying
muscles tight and
body trembling
I feel the pain of losing you
as surely as I felt the pain
of bones broken
and skin ripped from my body
having careened on the unyielding surface of asphalt
unprotected.

careening now through the days
having no control over my feelings and emotions
I am again
unprotected

and I find there is no protection from life

nor would I want it if offered

give me the pain
give me the uncertainty
give me the emptiness
and the rollercoaster of emotions

but give me also
laughter
joy
understanding and
love

for those are all the parts of a great life

wondering how to honor you
I thought about what parents want for their children
and all they really want
is for you to be happy
to have a great life
and to know we love you

and I thought
the best way for all of us
to honor you
is to have great lives
and to tell our families
our parents
our children
our brothers, sisters
our wives, and husbands and friends
how great our lives are
and that we love them

I love you
you had a great life.

Dad