More About Rita

 

Better

You were the better one.

You made me better than I was,

But you were always better.

I got to go live by the beach,

But you got to go live in Heaven.

I miss you, better friend.

Blue

I sent you a stuffed bunny,

pink suede gloves, and

lemon ginger tea last fall.

You gave me a beautifully

illustrated devotional and

lemon ginger cookies.

I can hear your voice 

like water, laughing

softly with love.

You always kept your kids' 

art projects displayed—      

that funny ceramic pig.

You, like a kite in the clouds

against a blue sky

on the best of days.

Freedom

You understood small

Pleasures so well, like a cat

On your lap (or dog),

Your patio chair,

Hostas, chirping hopping birds,

A few friends gathered,

Contentment by choice—   

One of your superpowers;

Coffee, cookies, smiles.

Just Chillin'

 

Sensate

Thought a button was a beetle

Crawling cross my closet floor

Felt like beach sand was soft concrete

For my bed I would adore

Sparrows rustling in the bushes

Chirping leaves and yet unseen

Grilled cheese wafting from the kitchen

Making toasty nutty steam

Beautiful Lines

Leafy veins

Dandelion strands

Doorways

Clocks

Sticks in the grass

Window screens

Jean stitching

Rocks

Handwriting

Suspenders

Umbrella

Box

Shoelaces

Bookbinding

Garden rows

Docks

What Makes a Party

Boats lit up at night

Sipping iced sparkling water

Piano, drums, bass

Bucket of Blueberries

 

I will follow you to Heaven, my Lovely Friend

The house is a mess

but it's not making me nuts,

doesn't steal my joy.

Monarchs fly over,

seeming to know the secret,

boldly fluttering.

My dream has come true—  

the prisoner is set free,

my hope gone forward.

The Night You Left Earth

Brilliant colored images,

ideas beyond my thinking

flooded my mind that night.

I couldn't sleep--

my imagination flying so crazily

I feared for my sanity.

Scary, surreal, overwhelming,

yet extreme happiness,

rapt in joy like a whirlwind.

Impressions rushing, flowing,

I thought I might fly off the planet.

I had to stop it. No time to record.

I took hold of myself, two melatonin,

hid under the covers until

the hush of peace settled in.

Next morning I could not recall

a single thought or idea, 

just the feeling of the experience.

I didn't know the significance of it,

or of not waking up in pain that day.

Later, I got the text.

You had flown.

One More for You

Twenty-five new shrubs,

Twenty-one perennials,

Seven trees planted.

Trudging

 

Doesn't do any good

Woke up like a giant fry pan   

Smacked my whole body.

Holy Spirit pushed me out of bed.

Got up, made jasmine tea, drank it.

Made oatmeal, salt, milk, banana, 

Cinnamon, nutmeg; ate it.

Did dishes, some other stuff,

Sat on the porch with Ron, 

Couldn't remember what to talk about.

Prayed together on the porch.

Read Matthew 7:21, John 6:29, 6:40. 

Was ok for a while, but it still hurt.

Couldn't shake it. Talked to a friend.

Ate an apple, peanut butter, 

Lettuce, turkey, and swiss cheese.

Went to the beach. It was beautiful. 

Was preoccupied, so was Ron.

Went home, sat in the back yard. 

It was so nice out. I could hear

People talking and laughing.

Read a little, looked at the sky, slept.

Groaned all day in my spirit,

Hoping for this to end.  

It will be well, but when.

Woke up, ate dinner, mostly butter. 

Boys were there. Cleaned up. Everyone left. 

Tried to color with my new crayons.

Had a bowl of cocoa pebbles,  

Peanut butter and chocolate chips,

Threw most of it in the garbage,

Because my friend is dying,

And nothing can make me

Feel better about that right now.

The Girls Came to Town

 

Rita

    

Purple velvet eyes.

Radiant flower beam smile.

Open handed heart. 

Grief 

Words drop with dull thuds,

not howls like Daniel's guitar—  

Electric lament.

Ice Cream Shoppe

Frozen cream and time

Flavored by dear company,

Each her own sweetness.