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.