THE GIFT
On the last day before the flight
I kissed you softly,
Made love to you gently.
–
The whole world seemed
Such a fragile thing
And I didn’t want it to break.
–
The air was crystal, the earth clay
My heart was
Diamonds and dust.
–
On the Sunday of the flight
With the last hug and kiss,
And the last goodbye,
I watched you
Shrink to a speck
And a sigh inside.
–
For the first time
I could feel
The weight of my body
–
As I moved to gather
A flight bag full of clothes
And lift my knapsack
–
Filled with mail for my brother,
Books and a Bible,
And our love letters onto my shoulders.
–
The check-in was slow.
I was too early.
The counter was vacant.
–
I was restless this Sunday
Thinking and searching
For a quiet place to pray.
–
I found the airport chapel
Just beyond the x-ray and security gates
Wedged between two noisy people movers.
–
It was empty,
Quiet and
Tranquil.
–
I prayed like I usually do
For all the departed souls
That touched my life
–
And all the other living
Who needed a little help
Just to get there.
–
I prayed for our love to last,
Just to make sure
His Gift to us was always honored.
–
In the soft muffle of the
Air-conditioner coming on
I heard an answer.
–
“It will last just as surely as the wind blows
Through fields and forests
And on all our skins.
–
Feel it there,
Soft and fragile
And repeating
–
And know that
My promise
Is everlasting
–
And as sure
As the fragile cycles
Of breath and blood.
–
Feel the softness of the sun on you
As it yields to fragile moonlight and
Know that the two are mated in their deference,
–
And in that deference
Exists the promise
Of all love.
–
I created the world out of fragile things,
Forged man from dust and clay,
Wrapped the soul up in a cocoon of beauty,
–
So I could always protect it with my love,
That is hard and true
And everlasting.
–
So when you feel love,
And feel glass in your heart,
You can see and touch the stars
–
And know my promise
Is in the soft embrace of her love
And the touch of her kiss.”
–
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