When We Are The Smaller Part Of Shadows Or Of Smoke Poem by Sean Joyce

When you and I are dead
a generation down.
They will think about us
and for a time will try
to understand what
moved us in our day

When we are the
Late Lamented
another generation down.
Some will still think about us
what we liked and loved and said

When the minds
that hold the memory
of you, and I, and now,
are themselves
held in the memory
of Dear Departed minds

When we are the smaller part
of shadows or of smoke.
Will we matter
more or less
when we simply
matter be

or will
we matter
any less than
had we never been