Eulogy
For Bill
And do you remember the last time your toes curled around grass
The spongey bounce of a summer lawn
The way your white hair framed your golden grin
The creases around your eyes speaking of your warmth and joy
Tackling your boys on the couch
Your broad chest and solid shoulders pinning as they laughed so hard they couldn’t — breathe —
full of nothing but love
Protected in their daddy’s arms
And did you hold your babies and give them milk
Tuck them in at night
Look for monsters under the bed and in their closets
Staying awake til they fell into their dreams
Toes curling around the cool grass
Grape leaves climbing on a picket fence
Rolled to perfection with meat and rice
A squeeze of lemon,
Oil and pepper
A laugh like a puff of air trilling an octave higher
your eternal mischievous sparkle
Proud tiny cowboy
A smirk
Sideways and crooked
for a school photo — like something fun was about to happen
or already had and just hadn’t been found
An energy that
floated
effortlessly
everywhere
infecting everyone
To be so loved
Adored
To bring so much joy
Illicit so many tears
When you have gone
And do you let your toes curl around the grass you cultivated
The springy coolness between your toes
The wind rustling through your broccoli tree
At peace —
As you look up from under the brim of your hat —
Towards eternity.
