Happy Father's Day to My Father, the Original Music Man...

Dear Daddy,

I cannot believe it has been 43 years since I last saw you. I love you always, thank you for guiding me in life and faith, I remember still...

Viola d'amore

  (for my father)

His violin rests against a wall

still, lifeless as the skillful hand

that once plucked from it

life's poignant melodies

Shrouded in blackest velvet,

it now pays silent homage

to the man whose life was music—

whose music was life itself

It's undying melody echoes yet

in the deepest chambers of my heart,

and resonates with a love

that death cannot mute

Unfinished Symphony

I hear the music

Long after you have gone,

Though it plays softer, sadder

Than when we were together.

The melody you have written

Echoes far and wide.

It cannot be silenced

By reason of time and distance,

Nor will it ever draw to a close.

Rather, your song will endure

Unfinished unto eternity,

Where we will meet once again

To chant the melody of unity. 

September

September was cold that year.

As I stood in sorrow

and bid you a silent adieu,

my tears became a stinging reminder

you would not rise with the sun

from this night's slumber.

And in my grief my heart ached

at the thought of you lying still,

lifeless.

How unlike you.

                                               

The single red rose was clutched

tightly in my hand and I kissed it

before tossing it gently to where you lay.

The clouds became dark,

and the autumn winds blew stronger

drying any remaining trace of tears.

As I turned and walked away, I thought

How cold September is this year.

I Thought You Long Dead

I thought you long dead

Until I heard your laughter

Among our voices

As we remembered when

I thought you no longer here

Until I saw you

In my mind’s eye

I thought you could no longer touch me

Until your image

Warmed my heart

I thought once more

And felt the life still within you

The unmistakable nearness of your spirit

Your gentle reminder

You would always be with me

Peace, and Happy Father's Day to all fathers, especially my sons, Aaron and Nathanael and my nephew, Adam. To my brother, Dennis. To my brother-in-law, John, to my cousin, Viktor, to all fathers in my family. And Happy Father's Day to my husband, Scott, an unequaled model of faith in God and love of family for my children, who are certainly blessed by God for having the perfect father.

Monica

Perfect Day

Be not mindless/Of the mundane moments

While seemingly unimportant/They pass quickly,

Yet command/A lifetime of remembrance

Monica E. Smith

Perfect Day

I remember
when fun was a Saturday bus ride
to downtown with my sister
on a cold winter day
Excitement
was a Beatles album
surprisingly on sale for $3.99
at Higbee's Department Store,
the coveted place
I could never normally afford
on my teenage salary
Comfort
was a mid-morning cup of hot coffee
sipped with delight in a booth
at a Euclid Avenue coffee shop
as we reminisced
the still fresh experiences
of the morning, anticipating
the rest of the day to come
Satisfaction
was lunch at the Silver Grille
and exercise
was an all-day walk
around downtown Cleveland—
window-shopping, talking,
dreaming and planning
our next Saturday excursion—
But contentment
was the aroma of Morrow's Nut Shop
which lingered on the bus ride home
while we warmed our hands
on hot bags of fragrant, freshly roasted nuts
Each of us treasured
this fitting end to a perfect day—
A memento that would soon evanesce—
as would these precious times spent together

A Good Dog

I thought of you today
When happenstance brought me
To that road we last walked
And to the memory of your last breaths,
How I held your sweet, warm head
In my hands and whispered to you
Trying desperately to comfort you,
Willing myself to believe
You would be all right,
Willing you to know how much
You were loved, how much
Joy you brought to the lives
Of my children, to us all

I thought of you, today, buried
Under your beloved pear tree
And how you now nourish it
As it had once nourished you,
And I missed your playfulness
And the laughs you gave us
Missed the wonderful silliness
Of your sprightly, unfettered life
And yet the depth you brought
To my own, and I knew
I had been blessed

And I remembered my tears
Falling onto your limp ears then,
And how I prayed you had felt them,
Because in feeling them
You would have understood with certainty
The value of your life,
Believed without hesitation your worth,
Known beyond any doubt
That you had been a good dog

*Sadie was killed during a walk on a country road with her family. We could see nothing, as she had run a bit ahead of us; we heard only a screech, a thud and the squealing tires as the driver sped away from the scene. We found her lying by the side of the road as we ran over a hill to her side, in shock and not believing what had just happened. Though Sadie died in 1992, she returns to our thoughts again and again. She was a blessing to our family, and a very good dog who will always be missed.