For Donna
A Poem in Memory, By Joy Aletheia Stevens
~
I call myself a writer,
But sometimes I don’t know what to write.
Words seem to falter,
Locked inside up tight.
~
There are some people in your life
That are not only a part,
But something more, deep inside,
At the center of a heart.
~
They not only claim an influence,
Not only part of a mold,
But with even more affluence:
They are intrinsic, it can be told.
~
And that is what she is to me,
This woman I’ve held so dear,
Not just in my memory,
But a part of my heart, and near.
~
She gave me so many things,
Not things that one could hold,
But rather the deep parts that make me sing,
And a poet’s heart unfolds.
~
She was bold and she was wild,
And always spoke her mind.
She had the dreamscapes of a child,
But also wisdom, you would find
~
She gave me voice and poetry,
And love and laughter too,
And as I count her legacy
It is a humbling view.
~
Deep inside her heart of hearts
She was an elegant soul.
A lover of beauty in all it’s parts,
Peace is what made her feel whole.
~
But with status quo she wasn’t satisfied,
She had to know and be and do.
From hard things she’d never hide,
And she always had her own view.
~
She was poetry and song, spunk and beauty,
Personified in one role.
Loving her was pleasure, not duty.
My Grandma, her beautiful soul.
~
And so of course my voice falters
As I seek to say goodbye,
And tears will fall, many waters,
But I have hope inside.
~
I’ll see you again, you’ll be by my side,
I know it deep in my soul.
Until then I carry you deep inside.
But for now, you Beauty, you are whole!
~
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. then he fell to the ground in worship. and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job 1:20-21
My heart has hurt and my words have stilled in grief over this last little wile. I post this in honor of my Grandmother.
Have fun singing in the choir Grandma. I will see you again.
Leave a Reply