Elegy

The water is drained;

The rice fields are cut;

The sheaves lie in neat rows

Like patients in hospital beds.

I see you, though ‘twas long ago:

You were but a green stalk,

Unburdened with grain

The weight of which would

Bend and near break you.

 

Empty hull, you’re free now,

Free of your toil in the sun

Free to leave this makeshift world

As you found it: undone.

What little joy you had

Was the joy of others;

The cross you bore

Was that of all daughters,

Sisters, mothers, grandmothers.

 

I quietly bemoan the

Faulty arithmetic of life that

Always left you with more winters

Than balmy springs and lazy,

Carefree summer afternoons. 

At last, you’ll leap and you’ll fly,

Behind your cocooned eyes

A butterfly is stretching its wings

Looking to the sky.

 

The water is drained;

The rice fields are cut.

The fallow land, where you

Lived and gave life to me,

Wears her black veil and

Weeps with me in silence

For goodness lost,

For a life too brief, and

For beauty cloaked in grief.

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

What a beautifully metaphoric tale of love and loss, but with a focus on how the person was

so alive, vibrant....loved....a life too brief...
my friend would have fit as subject for this poem. You write poetry that your readers
can always relate to on some level.
j.

[Laz K.]

Thank you, j.

[Gypsy Warrior Queen]

I just cried a million tears....astoundingly beautiful! Into the library, this goes!!!

[Kelly Scheppers]

We each process grief in our own way. This truly cuts to the core, Laz. Exceptionally so!

[Ken e Bujold]

an absolutely fantastic tale of love and grief. not a note out of place Laz

[Patricia Wedel]

Beautiful poetry… reminds me of my Grandmother who now has Wings …. gently, Pat

[Chris Shaw]

Really beautifully expressed emotions here Laz. This loss of yours touched this reader very much. No mistaking how the heart grieves. I particularly like the images you have created with your words. Sending you best wishes for a healthy and happy 2023.

Chris

[mattavelli]

Hello, Laz! :)
This is lovely poetry, beauty composed of grief, a dreamy collection of imagery and feeling that tells a story of ongoing loss. Thanks for sharing.

[Laz K.]

Thank you!