I came across this poem today, and it brought (good) tears to my eyes. Though Mary Oliver wrote it about the death of a friend, I share it for all of us who have lost sons and daughters, mothers and fathers.
Where has this cold come from? “It comes from the death of your friend.”
Will I always, from now on, be this cold? “No, it will diminish. But always
it will be with you.”
What is the reason for it? “Wasn’t your friendship always as beautiful
as a flame?”
~ Mary Oliver. For Tom Shaw S.S.J.E. (1945– 2014)
Mary Oliver's life was a gift to all of us. What a wonderful poet. One of my favorites.