Poem for a Friend

A photo and poem for a friend who passed today.

Across

I walked into the morning dawn,
wind, cold for this month,
trees danced and waited for the chill sun,
and geese called from a dark, near field.

Often, this would be enough,
but this morning, my thoughts were with you.

Our first meeting,
across the classroom,
then across the hallway,
You with the smiling eyes,
contagious laugh,
hair across your eyes like summer wheat,
and your greeting always, "Hey!"

And after we all parted,
found our own paths over the years,
when we gathered again,
you always said, "Hey!"

Your eyes laughing, like
we've never been apart,
held the story of your life:
mother, grandmother,
friend, always.

But today, while we were away from you,
tending to things like
leaves in the driveway,
and veterinarians for our pets,
and water and electricity bills,
and our lives,

You passed
across that blue divide,
took your smile,
your laugh,
your "Hey!" across the classroom,
across the hallway,
across that blue divide,
into Everything,

And you left us here,
with the wind,
the trees,
the geese calling from a near field.