One Last Time Poem by Bill Galvin

Small white puffs of clouds are scudding by
The fairest of blue skies above;
Gentle breezes are cooling to the skin
Before a promising warm morning sun;
And I’m tucking her in one last time.

As the loving parent eases the child’s nightly fears
And tucks the blankets to a snug and cozy shape;
As the lovers embrace and proffer their bodies
To use their love to rejoin the world as one
And mitigate the unease of loneliness;
As the loving life partner supplies the succor
Through physical or emotional distress
And reaffirms the intimacy of deep endearment;
As one continues the journey separately
From the opposite, more distant shore,
And the other confirms the lasting bond
By putting final touches to the resting place.

Words of love, a legacy of a loving life,
And names of lovers are etched upon this stone.
In front, I prepare the earth with my hands,
And dress the site with topsoil and mulch,
And plant the delicate yellow calendula flowers…
As golden as was her sunwashed hair…
And a pleasing accent to the black granite backdrop;
This permanent marker of remembrance;
This meeting place for narrative and chronicle;
This conduit for soul to soul dialogue.

I tamp the soil with tender touch
To inspire the plantings in their new surroundings;
And as I tuck these flowers into their new abode,
I feel the warmth of all our loving times,
All the comforts of a lover’s encouragement,
Down through all the years of our journey together;
And I sense the cathartic completeness
Of a tribute journey ending at this keystone;
This symbolic record of our earthly lives together.

I sigh; I smile;
I draw in a deep draft of morning air;
And I truly feel an inner peace,
And a refreshing rapture,
To be able to tuck her in
This one last time.

8-7-2015