Wednesday, June 23, 2010

VIGNETTE (LUKE:35-48)





IT WAS LIKE A TRIP BACK IN TIME

GOING FROM PHILLY TO MAINE

FROM LATE SPRING TO LATE WINTER

FROM THE PROMISE OF LIFE

TO THE PROMISE OF DEATH



CRYSTAL COME

YOUR DAD'S HAD A STROKE

HE WANTS YOU TO COME

ARE YOU SURE

YES HE WANTS YOU TO COME



SO DISTANT DAUGHTER

IS FLYING DOWN THE ROAD

TRYING TO NARROW ONE FORM OF DISTANCE

NOT KNOWING IF THE OTHER DISTANCE

WILL EVER BE BRIDGED



MY PRAYER A MANTRA

IN TIME TO THE WIPERS

BRUSHING THE RAIN FROM THE PANE

HOLD ON DADDY

OH DADDY HOLD ON



ODD TO BE PRAYING FOR A MAN

WHO WAS AT PEACE WITH GOD AND HIMSELF

FROM A WOMAN WHO HAD REJECTED THE SURENESS

WHO NOW HAD ALL THE ANSWERS

AND HAD NONE

OH DADDY HOLD ON



COME CRYSTAL COME

AND I RUN



CAN A GIRL EVER LOSE HER LOVE

FOR HER FIRST LOVE

HER DADDY



COME CRYSTAL COME

THIS FROM HIS SECOND WIFE

FROM WHOM I WAS DISTANT

NO FAULT OF HERS

SHE BELONGED TO HIM

THAT MADE THE GAP





SO LONG AGO I'D WANDERED FROM MY FATHER'S HOUSE

ANGRY

WITH SET JAWS ON BOTH SIDES

SHE'D MADE HIM GENTLE

THIS NEW WIFE

MY SIBLINGS HAD SAID SO

BUT I HAD WANTED TO HOARD MY PAIN

IT WAS MY SORE TOOTH

AND I SUCKED IT REGULARLY

COME CRYSTAL COME



HOW BLEAK THE LANDSCAPE HAD BECOME

HOW MATCHING TO MY SOUL AND SPIRIT

UNTIL FINALLY THE HOSPITAL WAS REACHED



MY FAMILY AND GRACE

AROUND THE BED

HOLDING HIS HANDS AND THEIRS

WATCHING THE MONITORS FOR ANSWERS

WATCHED THEM AS MY BROTHER SAID

REST EASY DAD

WE ARE ALL HERE

GRACE IS HERE

BEVERLY AND I ARE HERE

AND CRYSTAL IS HERE



HE SQUEEZED MY HAND

IN THE PLAYFUL GRIP

HE USED TO DO WHEN I WAS A CHILD

AND WENT

WENT DOWN THE ROAD AS FLAT AS THE MONITORS



A GREATNESS LEFT THE ROOM

AND SORROW FILLED THE SPACE

AN EMPTINESS WAS IN MY HEART

BUT I KNEW

SOMEHOW I KNEW

AS IF MY FATHER TOLD ME

THAT SPRING WOULD COME

AND WITH IT HAPPY MEMORIES

KNOWING THERE WAS NO DISTANCE AT THE END



GRACE THANK YOU

FOR TAKING CARE OF HIM IN HIS LATER YEARS

PERHAPS HIS DEATH WILL TEACH ME HOW TO LIVE



THE FAMILY AROUND THE DEATH BED

CRYING

HOLDING HANDS

SHARING LOVE AND WARMTH AND MEMORIES

AS DEATH ONCE MORE

TRIED TO TEACH US LIFE



Frank a. Vollmer

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