The Rules of Engaging Grief

The other day, following minor surgery, I found myself stranded in a wheel chair waiting for my buddy to return.  The poem is a reflection of that special time as I observed the Christmas shoppers.
“He Wondered Why”

He wondered why
Nobody passing
Glanced into his eyes,
Except three year-olds

Holding fast to parents
As they rushed by –
Shoppers in the mall
At Christmas time.

Only little children
Expressed compassion
In their serious demeanor
For this soul in sandals,

Ragged shorts and soiled shirt,
Wheel chair bound alone,
Waiting patiently for
His partner to return.

Was it seated their eyes met,
Or did his presence prompt
The taller to avoid a glance
At one less fortunate?

Before we dismiss November as a distant memory, let me share a poem I wrote after a morning walk. As I have said previously, following grief and loss I find a path through stillness to deeper place.  This poem seeks to reflect that stillness and deeper place. 

 “Just Another Day”

It was just another day,
Only later – as I dressed
For a mid-November frost,
Trudged to the beach alone.

Just another day as I crested the dune,
Spied a conflagration far out to sea;
Walked across crisp sand to join others
Gathered seventy yards off shore –

A dolphin pod moving in and out
With the rhythm of my breathing,
Marking the site with a leap,
For fear I’d miss this new beginning.

Yes, it’s just another day
To remind myself – remain aware,
Be released from all that pulls
From magnificence that surrounds –

In the sunrise of a smile,
A surprise encounter with those
Who travel conscious deep,
A scalloped seashell placed before me.

I return home refreshed
To brew a pot of coffee;
All this without a word spoken.
Yes, just another day – Praise God!