Requiem Poem by Tom Billsborough

Sculpture should be set
In stone, not flesh
Smoothed out unnaturally
And cold as marble to the touch,
So truly out of reach
In this small room's
Relentless silence..
Your mouth agape registering
The moment of your death
When the bubbly fountain
Of your voice ceased suddenly
And your sweet breath forever stilled.
This is but a shadow
Which must fade and which
I am compelled to leave for burial.
Not you, my love, no, never.
I shall not fail, as Orpheus did,
To claim you back from death
With songs and gentle memories.
We shall prevail, we shall prevail.