Recently I learned of the death of someone I have not seen in quite a while. When I was a child we were extremely close and shared alot of great times centered around the pond behind his house. When I heard of his passing I immediately went to that place and it felt like I was there yesterday! I could hear us, I could see the scene, I could smell those summer days. Those were times that neither of us ever forgot and they are remembered in the bittersweet feeling of grief. I was sad that those scenes will never happen again but in was exceedingly glad that they were there to be remembered. Long ago I made peace with the inevitable appearance of death at some point. I live my life with faith and I have a strong and certain sense that death is not the end. Still, I was struck by how random the universe can be and how people can literally be here one day and gone the next. I know where he is now but a big part of me that wants him to be here now for the sake of his kids, his wife, his family and the memories we once made. 

Poems are pictures. They are paintings with words and they convey messages.