Mourning Song

I have a bag of tears

somewhere in my head,

I feel it jiggle with the bumps along the road,

maybe I’ll take it out

and drink some down,

water my memories

Oh my sweetest love,

I miss you in my future,

I miss your presence, too.

The water comes and takes away my footprints,

something like that sometime may take me, too

I found a feather

amidst my sobs along the sand,

so small and perfect —

I smoothed it with my hand,

and as I always do

I had to take it for a sign

I had to listen for your presence in my mind

“Didn’t I show you?” you said —

I answered, “yes, you did.”

“Then you will take to heart

that light-filled vision.

Your heaviness is like those clumps of snow

disappearing, dense because they’re melting.

“Take that feather

and learn to fly sometime,

get ready

to leave it all behind, 

not that you’re going anywhere,

just being redefined —

that’s how I’ll see you on the other side.”

©Wendy Mulhern

February 21, 2019