For The Grace & The Glory

From The Orange Book

Note: This is from my new project, The Orange Book- Vitamin C for The Soul. The entire project, a poetry Chapbook, is inspired by the Death of my maternal Grandmother aka Gran. It explores the questions, challenges, and the only lasting Peace I’ve found as an extension of that ‘last’ conversation we had. These words below are from that talk…

“Why did you do it

then, Gran?” ask did

I one Summer day.

Sit back, rewind, for the

Answer is not so far

Away…

It was the last day I

Shed tears far from, for

Her Soul was ready to

Leave on that Summer day.

“When Papa died, we didn’t

Have anything, he didn’t

Want a service.”

An event not so much

For the Dead is it not?

But for the Living Behind

Who mourn Death away…

“I don’t want that either, Honey.

For People to just come and say

‘Mrs. Emm this’ and

‘Mrs. Emm that’ about

What they remembered…”

“But the thing is,

Dear,” a pause and then she said my name

Once more, ”I didn’t do it for them.”

Her voice trailed away…

Naturally, I asked then

Why she did those things.

“Jay, Son, I did it all for

The Grace & The Glory of God.”

Boom! Drop the mic.

Exit Soul Stage Right.

That’s the day I last cried

Them tears for when she

Passed months later on

I felt as though her Soul

Had already told me then that

It was leaving.