For Laz

Floating down this spiral hourglass
My beating heart slows and fears it will stop.
The day comes to an end so quickly
Like carnations gathered for a casket
Thrown down in the dirt to wither slowly
Tiny petals moldering in dust.

I've awakened all my senses to the big picture
Some misfortunes can't be calculated
So precisely
Others are predictable and come when called
The expected deaths, the resurrected ghosts
They're all here with us day by day.

Others take us by surprise and shock us
The unexpected loss of friendship
The absence of companionship and love
The sudden fear of forgetting

When I recall the magic of your eyes
I will remember their golden gleam
The intelligent way you held your head
Listening to my every breath
Mingling with yours - the steady breathing
Chest rise and fall, and you on top of me, small
Not heavy, just silent, still and warm.

-GSS 2008